Confusion Over the TPV Rule Changes

I did actually think originally that the clarification was to do at least in part with the difficult security problem of self-attaching HUDs - well, I still think that's got to be part of the mix. However, there's a lot going on.

Just picking one particular change:

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.

Apparently people don't understand what that means although it seems clear enough to me (which isn't the same as approval). One user goes so far as to say it needs other's added to shared experience, which is nonsensical since 'shared' includes everyone.

If all the users of SL are in a pool and have equal weight, and the baseline of performance is the official viewer, the shared experience includes undeformed mesh, shared media, and so on.

If a TPV contains Qarl's mesh deformer (which I wish we had in the official viewer) and a percentage of the user pool access SL through that viewer and have altered their mesh attachments, everyone else presumably sees the undeformed mesh which may expose pixel flesh, and/or alpha layer holes as well as just be wrongly sized for the avatar. That alters the shared experience (there are other new rules it might violate, too).

If a TPV contains Qarl's building tool (which I wish we had in the official viewer) and a percentage of the user pool access SL through that viewer and use it to build things, everyone else presumably sees the same prims moved in the same way although they are unable to directly reproduce that movement themselves. That doesn't alter the shared experience (there are other new rules it might violate, though).

Most of the recent improvements have come about by TPV-coders innovating (building tool) or activating unfinished LL projects (shadows). I'm unhappy if the TPV changes act to stifle innovation and much-needed change, however establishing a baseline seems reasonable in our world of neat features under-used. The advent of mesh has been a big enough catalyst for this as users don't want to miss out on mesh clothing and objects.

LL has a poor track record when it comes to utilising the work of volunteer coders. It has now upset that community more and seemingly closed off the last channel open to creative innovators, which is bad for the SL user. Very bad.