Linden Lab changes Second Life website

A couple of days ago Linden Lab completely changed the look of the Second Life website.

I think that this is yet another very exciting step in the right direction, improving Second Life, its reputation and the general experience of (new) users.

Personally I don’t like the idea of having to scroll on websites, especially if, at first site, the page doesn’t appear to be any larger than what you see.

In other words, when you first load the website, you see just the main image and you can’t see that there is more below it, unless you actually notice your scroll bar.

And that is a shame because the best things on the page are below the picture, a picture that, I have to say, I don’t find very exciting.

It is nice to see part of an editing or even building process illustrated, but do new users actually realise that this is what they are looking at?
Or do they just see a street with some avatars standing next to a car?
I also don’t find the image very visually appealing, there are a lot more exciting images in the Second Life is looking good Flickr group.

However, I am very excited about the slogan;

The largest-ever 3D virtual world created entirely by its users.

This is what I’ve been suggesting for a while, people need to know that everything they seen SL was made by regular users, this does not only explain why the quality of sims may differ but it also makes clear that new users may one day be able to build something just like what they are visiting.

As I said, I don’t like having to scroll, I would have fitted all these things on a single space that wouldn’t require scrolling.
But if you do have more information that fits on one screen, I’d make clear theta there is more to see, with for instance a nice scroll icon.

The next section of the page shows us ‘what’s new’, with a link to the Oculus Rift blog post and one about the new avatars that will take you to the join up page.

But the very very best part of this new website is at the very bottom of the page;The Drax Files compilation video made by my friend Draxtor Despres.
And I am not just saying that because my 1920s Berlin project is part of the video!

It is a great video, showing some of the best parts of the ‘Drax Files’ videos he made that shows the creative and exciting side of Second Life that the media often seems to ignore and that most outsiders won’t know about.
This video has the potential to improve the reputation Second Life has with many and to entice those who may have no opinion about Second Life at all.

If I was in charge of Second Life, I’d put this video at the top of the page, make it the first thing visitors to the website see.