Second Life, SL, Linden, LindeX, SLurl, and Linden Lab are all trademarks of Linden Research, Inc.

About BreakThink Tank's Second Life™ section

Disorienting experiences

There was an amusing anecdote on My-SLnews about guiding a new user through the latest Orientation Island. The new user wasn’t impressed, and frankly neither was I, although I had a better experience. The HUD worked, for one, and of course I had prior knowledge.

What was raised, however, is that the interface of the Second Life client is still, after four years, designed not around the needs of the public, but around those of Linden Lab employees.

I was thinking about this myself last night when trying to get on with some other writing, and I came up with these ideas:

Let’s start with the top menu. Now, “File” is a misnomer, since the only files involved are those you’re either saving (i.e. snapshots) or uploading. Call it “Session”, and let it handle logging in, logging out, automated relogging (e.g. when you get frozen in a server hiccup, have to quit and log in again), preferences, buying money, stuff like that.

Next up: The “Edit” menu edits… what? Honestly, “File” and “Edit” are holdovers. This isn’t a word processor, for cryin’ out loud. Let’s replace it with “Avatar” and use it to store all the neat functions for managing inventory, appearance, profile, setting busy or away, etc.

Right next to it, “Socialize”. This is where you choose friends to IM, groups to work with or activate, a dedicated “No Group Active” option, “Go Home”, open local chat history and other tasks of that ilk.

Menu number five is “Navigate”. This is where you set and choose landmarks, open maps, find out about the land you’re on, and general get-around tasks.

Sixth, “Help”. For abuse reports, the SL webby, and all things ably assisting.

Another thing I’d like to see is the end of those stylish, but impractical, pie context menus. What’s wrong with a flexible good old-fashioned list?

Posted in Second Life (,) by R Cruickshank Apr 23, 03:10 PM Tags: , , ,

Link to this article

Comment

Note: You are required to preview your comment before submission for moderator approval.

Textile Help

Last: | Next:

This site is powered by TextPattern, and designed by a screaming idiot.