Second Life...I miss you but...
So in case anyone is wondering why I'm not in second life as much these days...well here are the goods.
I live in rural Nova Scotia. I am exactly 10 miles from the nearest hard wired internet access point. A company called "Eastlink" won a government contract to provide high speed wireless internet to all homes in Nova Scotia by December 2009. Its getting close to that date and they appear no closer to fulfilling that commitment than they did 1 year ago, so I will be surprised if they actually get it done.
In the mean time I am on Satellite internet with "xplornet" and there are several inherent issues with that. 1. for $80 a month, you only get 25 MB download and 2MB upload PER HOUR. Ridiculous in this day and age but that is because of something called their "fair access policy". Its not "fair" because wealthier people get more and poorer get less, but it is what they do and they are a monopoly so there's nothing I can do about it.
2. Satellite internet has the problem of their satellites being 30,000 KM away from earth. That means the signal has to travel so far, there is a minimum 600MS lag time. So, in Second Life, when you try to move around etc. the "rubber band effect" and voice are fairly frustrating to use. Also things like building in world is difficult because you could build a few things, then suddenly they disappear because the packets didnt make it over before the SL server timed them out.
So until the high speed wireless is up and running out here, I am stuck. If it takes a long time I may try to find another place to live where I have access to wired internet but that is a very last resort.
Once I do have high speed again, though, I'll be back in SL full force with new ideas and creativity and fun!
I live in rural Nova Scotia. I am exactly 10 miles from the nearest hard wired internet access point. A company called "Eastlink" won a government contract to provide high speed wireless internet to all homes in Nova Scotia by December 2009. Its getting close to that date and they appear no closer to fulfilling that commitment than they did 1 year ago, so I will be surprised if they actually get it done.
In the mean time I am on Satellite internet with "xplornet" and there are several inherent issues with that. 1. for $80 a month, you only get 25 MB download and 2MB upload PER HOUR. Ridiculous in this day and age but that is because of something called their "fair access policy". Its not "fair" because wealthier people get more and poorer get less, but it is what they do and they are a monopoly so there's nothing I can do about it.
2. Satellite internet has the problem of their satellites being 30,000 KM away from earth. That means the signal has to travel so far, there is a minimum 600MS lag time. So, in Second Life, when you try to move around etc. the "rubber band effect" and voice are fairly frustrating to use. Also things like building in world is difficult because you could build a few things, then suddenly they disappear because the packets didnt make it over before the SL server timed them out.
So until the high speed wireless is up and running out here, I am stuck. If it takes a long time I may try to find another place to live where I have access to wired internet but that is a very last resort.
Once I do have high speed again, though, I'll be back in SL full force with new ideas and creativity and fun!
posted by Code Handyman at
9:09 AM
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