TPV policy changes

Mister Acacia is online

I'm writing this as the Third Party Viewer Developer meeting is taking place. They're adding some changes to the TPV policy, all of which are prohibitions. Here they are:

• 2.a.iii : You must not provide any feature that circumvents any privacy protection option made available through a Linden Lab viewer or any Second Life service.

Basically, LL are going to break true online status by changing the LSL function that provides it. This should not affect those using online indicator boards as long as the person indicated is the owner of the board, but should make all online indicator HUDs stop working. Capping is an issue that's being raised, but not immediately addressed.

• 2.i : You must not display any information regarding the computer system, software, or network connection of any other Second Life user.
• 2.j : You must not include any information regarding the computer system, software, or network connection of the user in any messages sent to other viewers, except when explicitly elected by the user of your viewer.

These are supposed to affect viewer tags. And in fact, LL servers will now strip the tag texture completely, so colored viewer tags are gone for now in some regions, in all regions by next Wednesday, and no-one can see what viewer you're using unless you add it to your group tag or Display Name.

• 2.k : You must not provide any feature that alters the shared experience of the virtual world in any way not provided by or accessible to users of the latest released Linden Lab viewer.

Oz likens this to the old Emerald mult-attach where some people on LL viewers saw those attachments floating away from the avatar. It applies to windlight settings.

Of course these changes are not being well received. Basically it means that if you can't do it in the latest LL viewer, you can't do it in any viewer. Why is something only LL can say, and they're not saying anything but a politically-spun answer. The real answer seems pretty obvious.

I invite you to discuss this with LL.

Mister Acacia is offline