Login screen

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The login screen (aka "splash screen") is aptly named, because it's the point from which you enter the Second Life experience. Its contents have changed over time, but it (minus the actual login form) can currently be viewed at http://secondlife.com/app/login

Now here's some Q&A about stuff that keeps coming up! This is not policy, just casual info to help you understand:

Who takes the pictures that appear on the login screen?

Mostly Torley, and the aesthetic gurus of Linden Lab's Creative Services Team have the final cut.

What format are they in?

Cropped 1280x960 JPGs. This makes them appear undesirably stretched on widescreen (like 16:10), but it's what we have for now.

How many pictures are there?

Usually 16 or so, which get swapped seasonally (or thereabouts, this is still fairly new).

Each time of day (of which there are 4) has 4 or more screenshots, and they rotate. Restarting SL or refreshing enough times will show you a new one.

Where can I see all the pix?

Including ones that didn't make the cut:

• Second Life Login Screen Flickr group
• Spring 2009
• Winter 2008
• Summer 2008
• Some of you may remember the WindLight preview splash

How can I visit where these pictures were taken?

As of this writing (2009-04-06), there aren't SLURLs on the login screen. Torley explains related usability trickiness.

In the meantime with related intrigue, look at Torley's Flickr stream for OMG AWESOME ADVENTURES, where just about every pic has a "Visit..." link you can click on to teleport to... and keep reading.

Aren't you concerned about attribution?

Heck yes. You'll notice on Torley's Flickr stream that he/she/it endeavors to attribute as much as possible in the absence of an auto-attribution mechanism. If you're ready to geek out, he even came up with this macro to automate including parcel name + description.

In the future, we'll hopefully have better ways — after all, it's a win for everyone to discover awesomeness in Second Life.

Can I submit my own pictures?

Not as of this writing. You're more than welcome to make submissions to the Second Life Showcase which appears prominently on our website and within the viewer's Search window in the Showcase tab. Showcase has a FAQ, too.

Why don't you just combine the login screen with the Destination Guide?

Great Minds Think Alike!

Various people have brought this up independently. We're considering ideas on this front. That's not a commitment to implement, but yes, we're aware. Enthusiasm rules, excessive overhead sucks — certain stuff like legal issues, a low-maintenance queue, and soforth need to be figured out.

So where else can I show off my pictures?

Many places. (Add yours!) There are several Resident-run snapshot sites; Torley notes some here.

Furthermore, the Second Life Blogs link to the biggest Second Life Flickr group, which is run by Residents. Also this list of all Second Life Flickr groups.

You can let Blue Linden know, he runs EUREKA, The SL Travel Blog.

And Torley might fancy seeing your pix, contact him directly.