Socially|Mundane

Here we go again.

The horrible Second Life Grid, owned and operated by the evil Linden Lab is not good enough because they actually expect you to follow reasonable rules on an "unstable" (should have been here in 2006 and prior) grid and allow Intellectual Property plagiarism (no such thing as theft if it's a copy) to run rampant (admittedly, it's a real bitch to apply a DMCA charge against someone - especially at Xstreet SL) and expect you to spend real money for the privilege (damned entitlement attitudes where the world owes you everything for nothing - you bee-ahch) - so all those who are fed-up and tired of it are (and have been at least since 2006) looking for that elusive Second Life alternative.

Many like myself really wish you'd find it already because your whining and bitching and "threatening" us is getting tiresome, so your leaving would be a really good riddance for the rest of us.

A frequent complaint I recall is...

"ZOMG! I'd leave so fast if only there were an alternative. I only stay because I don't have a choice. Dammit."

Many think Open Sim is the answer... but it's not. Not yet, anyway. OpenSim is still in it's infancy; it's Second Life circa 2004. There are many other "alternatives" based on OpenSim and even some proprietary technologies. I've personally highlighted TribalNet and Mycosm (which I really am interested in seeing - but it's development seems to have floundered.) Even the Sim City Societies was going to become a viable alternative to Second Life ... had it lasted for more than a few months.



However it seems for now the main technology in everyone's sights is the Open Sim system; which technically is a violation of the DMCA. /me snickers. Even Rezzible has bailed on the Linden Lab-run grid to create their own private little corner of the virtual internet - again, based on Open Sim. Good luck with that.

So now comes another "private grid" calling itself creatively (albeit considerably cheesy in my own opinion) "Youniverse". The way I 'discovered' it was by scanning the old SLogosphere as I usually do and ran across a post at a place called Cheating Network. So I went over to the Youniverse site to take a peek and get some information - for curiosity's sake.

First bad news: it's a Flash-based web site. Big thumbs-down on that. My personal rule is I bail on Flash-based web sites the instant I see that's what it is. I refuse to subject my computer to any Flash anything if I can avoid it (even at YouTube you can watch the H.264 versions of everything.) However, in the interest of saving you from having to endure anything Adobe Flash, dear reader, I bit the bullet and investigated for you.

There is nothing there.

No really: nothing. There is a dumb-ass full-screen Flash file playing annoying sounds, unnecessary "eye candy" that reacts to your mouse and a single click-through button, upon activating takes you directly to a sign-up 'registration' page.

No information whatsoever. Not even a simple synopsis of what it is. Granted, it appears to have just gone into "public" mode and so the web site is still under development. However, it all still looks rather 'flaky' to me.

What got my curiosity about Youniverse to begin with was the post at Cheating Network by someone with the incredibly trustworthy name of "Emoxninjaxgone":

Welcome to a new and exciting online world of social and business networking based on 3D virtual technology where you can have fun and make money!

Funny how he doesn't mention Second Life, Linden Lab or Open Simulator at all, yet turns-on the selling pitch to full-throttle. There is no doubt what this person is talking about.

Imagine all present leading online social networking sites plus Youtube and Google all together in 3 dimention?!!

Indeed!

Why, it sounds fascinating! I am itching to make loads of cash, stalk people, share bad LolCat Pix with people who don't really care or know me and watch really bad YouTube movies and be able to search google in a far more inconvenient fashion than by using a standard web browser!

Youniverse World allows you to create your own virtual reality that suits your individual interests where you are able to make friends, chat, connect with like-minded people, find partners, create or enter particular communities and clubs, promote your business, sell your products and also to become a partner of Youniverse World that allows you to aquire a 3D flat with a backoffice and a virtual shop with selected products from Youniverse World.

ZOMFG!!!!! SIGN ME UP!!!!1 NOW!! LIKE, RIGHT F**KING NOW!!111!!!!

Wow.

Just... wow.

If you really feel the need to sign-up so you can make bank before Anshe Chung gets there, go here. Apparently it officially opens on September 25 and is currently in beta. Personally, I'll stick with Second Life Grid until Mycosm moves another inch.

Because, love 'em or hate 'em, Linden Lab is a reputable company and a known quantity.

[From New Second Life alternative !!! - Cheating Network]