New tools! Avatar script times!

Greetings!

I wanted to share with you a quick note about a new tool available to the EMs and EOs of Second Life(tm). We can now see the total script time for each avatar on the region in the same screen we see the script times for each scripted object on the region.

Please feel free to catch me noon to 1pm SLT on Saturday or whenever you can grab me to find out your total script time average and isolate any absurdly high script time items you may have attached regularly.

Cheers!
Char

ps. this is only available on those regions that have already been rolled onto the new code.

Full Bright and Foce Midnight

As you should all be aware, the 'Full Bright' setting for exterior elements except light sources and business signage is not permitted. This includes trees, buildings, gazebos, beach towels, and any other assorted items. There can be some *minor* exclusions made for very obviously fantasy items, an example being the popular glowing crystal garden ornaments, but these should be minimal and not 'in your face'.

Please be aware that many designers feel that even during the day their textures, for whatever purpose they are being applied, are best rendered with the full bright setting turned on. I would strongly recommend that everyone alternate their environment setting from day to midnight prior to purchasing any items that are NO MODIFY. There are some big name sellers on the list of no modify plants/trees and even prefabs that use full bright settings.

Also, after making any modifications to your parcels, please take time to review the look with midnight forced not only up close and personal, but from a distance to see if anything stands out abnormally.

I cherish all of you and I hate having to issue 'nasty-grams' reminding you of covenant specifications and sounding like a cross wet-hen

*hugs*
Char

Relay For Life....

This is the first of what will surely be many blog posts during the coming months about Relay for Life (RFL). For those of you familiar with the RFL, you can skim over the following info as it is mostly introduction, but near the end will be some info regarding team affiliation.

Relay For Life is an event that is held out in that Real World thing that people keep telling me about and has been carried in world, giving people who would otherwise not be involved, or cannot be involved out in the real world a chance to participate. It is a major fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Despite the name, this charity is now global, with a presence in over 100 countries.

Relay events are marathon walks (or runs) that span a designated number of hours, often 18-24. There are special laps, usually leading off with cancer survivors (by definition anyone with cancer or who has beaten it) doing a lap by themselves with no one else on the track. Everyone else stands by and cheers. Donations in the real world come in form of lap sponsorships and other donations.

The RFL season in SL is lengthy. The official kickoff was this morning and the grand marathon walk event is in July. You will likely get sick of the constant events, the omnipresence of donation kiosks, the pressure to constantly donate. I urge you, in this turbulent economy to keep track of your budget, and remember that even 10L is a good donation, it all adds up to amazing totals. Last year we raised just over 300,000 USD and this year's goal is even higher.

Consider a donation of time if you cannot spare lindens. Many areas need volunteers to assist in moving things along. As co-chair for the Design Committee, I'll be helping round up all the various build crews needed to pull off a 37 region event and beyond that I can help route you to other committees that need all manner of assistance or your created donations for auctions and so on.

As Design Co-Chair, I cannot officially belong to any team. However, I feel that SkyBeam as a whole should have a unified team affiliation for anyone who does not already belong to a team. Please rest assured I would never ask you to abandon past team affiliation. For those who do not have a team to call your own, our own Vessus Candour (resident of SkyBeam and designer of our Community Center building) has started a team, the Pink Panthurs, and I have asked Vessus to take SkyBeam under her wing and utilize the resource we are to help promote RFL, with events, with kiosks, whatever is needed.

Remember, I ask nothing but what you can afford to give, in time, lindens or sanity. At no time do I want anyone here to feel that they are being asked for more than they can give. No one will think less of anyone for lack of participation or donations.

I relay for my mother, who passed to pancreatic cancer, and for my children so that maybe they can face a future where cancer, in its various forms, has a cure. I speak to almost no one who hasn't had some brush with this awful disease. If you do nothing but show up at the main event and walk the track just once in remembrance and to show your support of the fight, that is awesome.

Hugs,
Char

Edit Terrain & The Wandering Destructive

Please be aware of all settings on your land at all times.

EDIT TERRAIN in the About Land - Options screen allows anyone in Second Life to edit your terrain. There are moments where it is tempting and potentially useful to check this box to allow someone else to help edit the terrain on your parcel or homestead region.

There is an element of second life citizenry that look for such openings and use them to their fullest and most destructive application. In other words, if you leave this on, someone is going to come and make a mountain or sinkhole or drastic combination of both of your property.

In the event of drastic changes in height that bury your objects, this WILL force the auto return of your objects, with the due risk of some items not returning properly. We know how SL can be about such things.

If you do need to use this feature, please be very careful to uncheck it again as soon as possible.

Hugs!
Char

Fun and games with Ghosted Scripts!!

That's right, ghosted scripts! Just as we occasionally run into ghosted prims, prims that have been deleted and no longer show as counted in prim count nor can they be seen with highlight transparent turned on, but can be run into and block our movements, now we have ghosted scripts, too!

A current flaw somewhere in the system is allowing scripted objects that are deleted to leave behind a running script that weighs down our script times and contribute to lag within our regions. A work around has been discovered that allows ESTATE regions to deal with the problem, but leaves mainland high and dry. We can disable scripting, restart the region and then restore the scripting to run status. This clears any ghosted scripting left on the region.

Effectively immediately, all regions on SkyBeam Estates will have these steps taken once per week on a rotation schedule. Nevar will be handling this and will watch closely to make certain all regions come back up cleanly and script activity is restored promptly.

Please be certain to swing by and vote on the related JIRA issue:

SVC-3867

Please note that a Linden has already weighed in on the topic, but it remains unassigned for any actual work to begin.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to make sure that our regions all remain running smoothly.

Char

Scepterd Sea

Ahoy!

SkyBeam is adding a new homestead region! Scepterd Sea is set to appear as soon as any minute off the western coast of Scepterd Isle. This region will be 3/4 water with its land mass situated in the southwest corner and will be home to our very own Neill and Jessica.

The land mass should come through already terraformed and with and ground textures in place, but if it comes in wrong, please don't panic, it'll be corrected asap.

*hugs*
Char

Ran headlong into JIRA issue...

So, in trying to transfer the Community Center v.1, the build was sold to me by our very talented Vessus Candour, with a for sale for 0 type model. Upon unlinking to mod a few things, I noted that I could not edit the child prims. I failed to discover *why* and we started over.

I was 'ok' with v.1. I LOVE v.2.

Decided this time we'd sell it all by doing the land transfer and include objects type transfer model. Tested a small linkset. OMG, the child prims reverted to Vess upon unlinking them!!! This is NOT the expected behaviour. We spent another hour or more testing various scenarios. Then discovered this is a known JIRA issue. Sigh.

Please wander over to the jira and vote for this. It should be a critical issue and, while listed as major, isn't getting much attention:

SVC-369

Thank you!!!
Char