SL Grid Powered by Hamster Wheel
by Pixeleen Mistral on 22/02/07 at 9:28 am
Exercise wheel credited for recent improvements in Grid performance
by Hotlips Tornado, Metaverse Infrastructure expert
Auxiliary power station for the grid
The Grid seems to have been stable for several days. The Wednesday update only took an hour more than it was meant to, teleports are mostly working, hair is usually staying on heads and shoes tend to remain where they’re supposed to be. Even with 30000 concurrent users it is still sometimes possible to kind of fly around a bit, chat with only the occasional lost comment, shop and mostly get one’s items and dance at nearly a full 3fps. Two weeks ago these seemingly normal activities were barely possible.
But what is the explanation for this sudden upturn in performance? This reporter believes she has found the answer.
Hidden deep within the delightful swamps of Noonkkot, a place largely owned by a group of furries known as the Coonspiracy, is the source of the Grid’s power. The hamster wheel shown in these pictures is connected directly to the power lines from which the Grid feeds. If you noticed a sudden improvement in Grid performance at about 5PM PST on Feb 21st, it was because your humble correspondent was “doing her bit” for the Grid.
Chasing the almighty L$
There is debate about whether the SL Power Wheel should include avatar-motivating features, such as a dangling carrot or a shiny thing with a bling script in it. There is, in fact, a Linden dollar hanging just in front of the wheel to provide motivation. There was no consensus view amongst the avatars queuing to do their bit as to whether this dollar would provide extra motivation. One avatar found that he was able to produce maximum power by having his wife sit on the frame in front of him. Another eschewed such trappings and thought only of his fellow avatar. This reporter believes that spending time in the Wheel is a purely altruistic act, motivated by nothing other than love for one’s fellow avatars and that wheel-time is pure, and should remain unsullied by material distractions.
Run to help keep SL running
You, too, can do your bit! Ten minutes spent in the Wheel provides the Grid with enough power to process five new arrivals at Orientation Island, three ten minute pole dances, or two border crossings with prim hair intact. Please do what you can to keep the Grid running.
www.sl-post.com
Feb 22nd, 2007
Hamster wheel power!
Hamster wheel power keeps the grid going (hehe).
Aleister Kronos
Feb 22nd, 2007
Just a note on the update…
It may have gone far more smoothly than some of the more memorable maintenance breaks of recent months. But in may case at least, it had the effect of introducing a spell of bad weather across the grid.
Wherever I looked on the map, all I could see was dense cloud. As an enthusiastic rambler in SL, finding my way about in these hazardous conditions was a right royal pain. For the most part, I ended up sticking to places I know. Hopefully it’s all back to “normal” now.
I did blunder into Mercedes Benz where – aside from grabbing an 89MB music download – I found little to justify this leap into the mist!
Prokofy Neva
Feb 22nd, 2007
Oh. Are you sure? I thought the grid was run by this funny-looking machine that Jim Lumiere gave me which I put behind Prok’s Sea Food shed in Coney Island of the Mind, labelled “Asset Server”. It has these big levers on it. I put out a sign, “Don’t touch!” but of course, people do, and selfishly mess up SL for everybody. You tell them, and tell them…
In fact…I could have gone on thinking this about the “Asset Server” and might have even been convinced with your “Gerbil Theory” but…then Ordinal Malaprop set me straight. In fact, Second Life is a giant Treacle Well:
http://ordinalmalaprop.com/engine/2007/02/22/the-treacle-well/
Nothing says “science” like Ordinal Malaprop — I think she’s to be trusted on this one.
hotlips Tornado
Feb 22nd, 2007
Oh yes, I’m sure Prok. Not only that, but I have uncovered fresh evidence of weird Grid goings on. Do avatars dream of electric sheep? Apparently not. I, myself, have no recollection of what I’ve been doing when my owner is away, but I may soon be in a position to reveal all.
Sobrag Flaman
Feb 22nd, 2007
The goons in Baku have had something like this set up for a while too, but I do not know who placed it first. The goon’s version however, recently added 1L$ hanging on a string in front of the “Gerbil”
Wayfinder Wishbringer
Feb 22nd, 2007
Oops, you all finally caught on. In truth, all of SL has been run by a hamster wheel for quite some time now. It had the drawback of course, that every so often the hamster would die, taking the entire grid down until it could be replaced. There have been a couple of occasions when someone at Linden Lab had forgotten to stop by the pet store. The resultant lack of hamster was attributed to “Asset Server Difficulties”… one of LL’s best-kept secrets.
Now of course, with a second wheel in operation, there might be just enough power to cover the grid for quick hamster replacements. But whether your particular breed is up to the amazing athletics of the authentic Norweigian Blue hamster has yet to be seen.