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3rd Rock Grid slated for closure May 15 2024
I am very sad to announce what seems to be the inevitable closure of the historical 3RD Rock Grid in OpenSim. I say historical because it is notable as being the 3rd official OpenSim grid to open for business many,many years ago. I joined 3RD Rock in early 2011, shortly after it opening and have been calling it my virtual home away from home since then. Due to a recent series of cascading events our servers are inaccessible by our Adim team, below I will post a portion of my transcript copied during our last community meeting date March 23 2024.
[13:09] David7 Bravin: 5. GRID ISSUES.
[13:10] David7 Bravin: Anyone ?
[13:11] David7 Bravin: If not .....
[13:11] David7 Bravin: moving on to...
[13:11] David7 Bravin: 6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
[13:11] David7 Bravin: Eldovar ?
[13:11] Eldovar Lamilton: yes, thank you
[13:12] Eldovar Lamilton: As all of you have noticed of the past one and a half years, fate has hit us hard during the past time.
[13:13] Eldovar Lamilton: 1. It all started when we lost our system administrator from one day to the other without any further notice. We were left without access and documentation to the grid, and the person refused any further contact. To the day we have no idea why he reacted as he did, because from our perspective there was no reason at all to do so, our relationship seemed good, he received much more than the money he requested for the work he did.
[13:14] Eldovar Lamilton: It took us a long time to get access to the servers again. And the biggest problem that remained was, that he had rewritten (and improved) a few core parts of the Opensim software, but other than agreed, he never gave us the source code of those program parts.
[13:15] Eldovar Lamilton: 2. In October last year we lost one of our most important servers: the one that was running the Starfleet regions and many more important regions, we call it server 107. Kira Tiponi worked hard to get that server replaced and managed to restore all the regions that were there and finally, at the beginning of January this year, she succeeded. The plan was, that she shows nme everything she has done and gives me full access to the new server 107 at the beginning of February this year.
[13:16] Eldovar Lamilton: 3. In January, we got the sad message, that Kira has passed away. She did not have time to pass over all the information that she had and that was necessary to access the new server.
[13:16] Eldovar Lamilton: This was the final stroke to the grid as well.
[13:17] Eldovar Lamilton: Despite all our efforts, the situation now is, that we don't have access to all the servers - I still try to get access to the server housing company where the physical bare metal servers are running. Even with that, we do not have access to all our servers, those few that we have access to, we cannot manage because the system administrator that helped us move from the Florida servers to the new servers in Europe, has rewritten some crucial part of the software, and we don't have the source code to it (as mentioned above).
[13:18] Eldovar Lamilton: To summarize the situation: this grid is not manageable anymore.
[13:18] Eldovar Lamilton: As a consequence, we have decided heavy heartedly, to shut down 3RG.
[13:19] Eldovar Lamilton: end
[13:20] Thoria Millgrove: Next month will make 15 years since I rezzed in 3rd Rock Grid
[13:20] Georgina Mills: 3rd oldest Opensim grid closes, I wish it wasn't so!
So in a nutshell that’s the story. If there is any assistance or advice you may have to offer, please feel free to contact me at jayr.cela@gmail.com
I will present any information during our next community meeting scheduled for April 6 2024 at 1:00pm grid time, 3rd Rock Grid is tentatively scheduled for official closure May 15th 2024
Thank you.
JayR Cela
I am very sad to announce what seems to be the inevitable closure of the historical 3RD Rock Grid in OpenSim. I say historical because it is notable as being the 3rd official OpenSim grid to open for business many,many years ago. I joined 3RD Rock in early 2011, shortly after it opening and have been calling it my virtual home away from home since then. Due to a recent series of cascading events our servers are inaccessible by our Adim team, below I will post a portion of my transcript copied during our last community meeting date March 23 2024.
[13:09] David7 Bravin: 5. GRID ISSUES.
[13:10] David7 Bravin: Anyone ?
[13:11] David7 Bravin: If not .....
[13:11] David7 Bravin: moving on to...
[13:11] David7 Bravin: 6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
[13:11] David7 Bravin: Eldovar ?
[13:11] Eldovar Lamilton: yes, thank you
[13:12] Eldovar Lamilton: As all of you have noticed of the past one and a half years, fate has hit us hard during the past time.
[13:13] Eldovar Lamilton: 1. It all started when we lost our system administrator from one day to the other without any further notice. We were left without access and documentation to the grid, and the person refused any further contact. To the day we have no idea why he reacted as he did, because from our perspective there was no reason at all to do so, our relationship seemed good, he received much more than the money he requested for the work he did.
[13:14] Eldovar Lamilton: It took us a long time to get access to the servers again. And the biggest problem that remained was, that he had rewritten (and improved) a few core parts of the Opensim software, but other than agreed, he never gave us the source code of those program parts.
[13:15] Eldovar Lamilton: 2. In October last year we lost one of our most important servers: the one that was running the Starfleet regions and many more important regions, we call it server 107. Kira Tiponi worked hard to get that server replaced and managed to restore all the regions that were there and finally, at the beginning of January this year, she succeeded. The plan was, that she shows nme everything she has done and gives me full access to the new server 107 at the beginning of February this year.
[13:16] Eldovar Lamilton: 3. In January, we got the sad message, that Kira has passed away. She did not have time to pass over all the information that she had and that was necessary to access the new server.
[13:16] Eldovar Lamilton: This was the final stroke to the grid as well.
[13:17] Eldovar Lamilton: Despite all our efforts, the situation now is, that we don't have access to all the servers - I still try to get access to the server housing company where the physical bare metal servers are running. Even with that, we do not have access to all our servers, those few that we have access to, we cannot manage because the system administrator that helped us move from the Florida servers to the new servers in Europe, has rewritten some crucial part of the software, and we don't have the source code to it (as mentioned above).
[13:18] Eldovar Lamilton: To summarize the situation: this grid is not manageable anymore.
[13:18] Eldovar Lamilton: As a consequence, we have decided heavy heartedly, to shut down 3RG.
[13:19] Eldovar Lamilton: end
[13:20] Thoria Millgrove: Next month will make 15 years since I rezzed in 3rd Rock Grid
[13:20] Georgina Mills: 3rd oldest Opensim grid closes, I wish it wasn't so!
So in a nutshell that’s the story. If there is any assistance or advice you may have to offer, please feel free to contact me at jayr.cela@gmail.com
I will present any information during our next community meeting scheduled for April 6 2024 at 1:00pm grid time, 3rd Rock Grid is tentatively scheduled for official closure May 15th 2024
Thank you.
JayR Cela
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Individual region owners can probably get their content out in boxes. It's a huge pain but it can be done. I really hope people can have it a bit easier than that though.
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I hope their sysadmin hasn't rewritten the entire CLI, so at least IAR and OAR exports can still be done without having to reverse-engineer the grid software.
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How many regions are hosted on 3RG currently? Like if another grid or host company were to take it on. What is the capacity need? I'm not a host or a tech but that info might help folks make the decision whether or not they can offer.
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Thanks for the judgement with zero context on how folks actually feel about 3RG. It was in the early OpenSim Grids I joined (before the hypergrid we just had to join grids to see them:) and it's a lovely community of people, always has been. I hope they can make it work more than anything. Content is connection to people and communities. To experiences we've shared. 3RG hosts one of the most special regions in the OpenSim for me. Aacme City. Built by Duderz Lebowski who has sadly passed away. Sunbeam's partner. They were two of the first people I ever met in the OpenSim. And Aacme City was his and their absolute labour of love. It actually inspired how I've built towns and cities ever since and I always think of Duderz when I do.
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It's also about preserving someone's artistry though. Not every content creator is still out here doing it. For various reasons, some very sad.And caring about preserving content doesn't mean people care any less about the people. The people and community always come first.
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Out of question, Jamie...but main interest / problem now is to help a grid and not discussing about clothes! This I find contra productive and egomaniac for
those who loose a long standing grid! Loosing some clothes here doesnt matter. Its the people we should care of right now. Its not new that Jupiter only bla blas with so many blogs about clothing only ( I think the one has nothing to do else in 24/7) . Here we have a real problem about hundreds who loos their home! edit: Jupiter is well known to throw stones to mainly at dorena gridtalk with assuming things he can never prove. Assuming and bringing people up against others. This one is a drama causer
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those who loose a long standing grid! Loosing some clothes here doesnt matter. Its the people we should care of right now. Its not new that Jupiter only bla blas with so many blogs about clothing only ( I think the one has nothing to do else in 24/7) . Here we have a real problem about hundreds who loos their home! edit: Jupiter is well known to throw stones to mainly at dorena gridtalk with assuming things he can never prove. Assuming and bringing people up against others. This one is a drama causer
Actually I only see you causing drama here. So people like clothes? They get to. And talking about preserving creations when a grid is in jeopardy is not irrelavant. It doesn't negate the love for the community or individuals within it. It honours it. It will be more than "just a few clothes" if folks can't get their content out. We build worlds. 3RG is one of the oldest ones. That's a lot of meaningful content to the folks who both created it and live within it everyday. And yes clothes and avatars can be part of that.
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And it's also a huge relief that people have from now until May just in case there isn't another host or a big move but with no OARs and IARs. Most of us have been in a fair few grids that just went poof overnight and then you lose everything you've ever made, not just the place you called your virtual home. That's so much worse.
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Any plans for the content offered at Welcome? Like all the clothes?
Granted, what Alia Soulstar has put up was gathered together throughout the Hypergrid. A lot of mesh clothes, including all male mesh clothes, are from Klamotto and not necessarily clean, although some are. But while the male layer clothes are all standard Linda Kellie fare that can still easily be found elsewhere, the female layer clothes installed by Alia seem to have all become exclusives to 3RG Welcome meanwhile, especially the underwear and the swimsuits.
And then there are Dawn Greymyst's boxes, especially the Clutterfly mesh clothes with HUD-controlled custom textures. It'd be a pity to see them go to waste when the grid shuts down.
Yes, they aren't the newest hotness. Yes, they aren't rigged for the hottest SL mesh bodies, at least not all of them. Yes, many consider layer clothes outdated. Yes, some call for all content older than a few months to be thrown out of all shops on the Hypergrid. And yes, some still call for a total boycott of any and all content related to Linda Kellie.
But then there are those who refuse to put anything illegal on their avatars. Finding clothes and accessories that are both legal and fit sufficiently well on legal mesh bodies is detective work and often requires sheer luck.
I've seen too much old but legal and still useful content vanish for good when sims shut down, when grids shut down or when sims were rebuilt. It hurts even more if you never even had the chance to pick up the sales boxes and save them which is the case at 3RG Welcome.
So I hope that at least the clean and exclusive stuff will be saved and offered someplace else.
like(3)
Granted, what Alia Soulstar has put up was gathered together throughout the Hypergrid. A lot of mesh clothes, including all male mesh clothes, are from Klamotto and not necessarily clean, although some are. But while the male layer clothes are all standard Linda Kellie fare that can still easily be found elsewhere, the female layer clothes installed by Alia seem to have all become exclusives to 3RG Welcome meanwhile, especially the underwear and the swimsuits.
And then there are Dawn Greymyst's boxes, especially the Clutterfly mesh clothes with HUD-controlled custom textures. It'd be a pity to see them go to waste when the grid shuts down.
Yes, they aren't the newest hotness. Yes, they aren't rigged for the hottest SL mesh bodies, at least not all of them. Yes, many consider layer clothes outdated. Yes, some call for all content older than a few months to be thrown out of all shops on the Hypergrid. And yes, some still call for a total boycott of any and all content related to Linda Kellie.
But then there are those who refuse to put anything illegal on their avatars. Finding clothes and accessories that are both legal and fit sufficiently well on legal mesh bodies is detective work and often requires sheer luck.
I've seen too much old but legal and still useful content vanish for good when sims shut down, when grids shut down or when sims were rebuilt. It hurts even more if you never even had the chance to pick up the sales boxes and save them which is the case at 3RG Welcome.
So I hope that at least the clean and exclusive stuff will be saved and offered someplace else.
Like I say, I hope they get the OARs and IARs. I for one like the old classic standard avatar stuff and fitmesh. LOL I've never been the newest hotness and that's ok with me. But more than anything I hope the good folks of 3RG are able to keep their community together in some form. It is an historic grid in the OpenSim.
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Juno has all the Clutterfly clothes plus the underwear and the swimsuits, and she has god mode to "fix" the strange permission settings. But she has only got the folders with the loose items, and she'd rather not repackage everything.
And if that stuff isn't rezzed anywhere on any sim in any grid, chances are higher that it'll perish due to wonky asset servers.
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And if that stuff isn't rezzed anywhere on any sim in any grid, chances are higher that it'll perish due to wonky asset servers.
They no need of help, they needs new administrator.
They need someone with enough free time (which I don't have) and the desire to take on this job and "clean out the Augean stables"*.
And that someone should document the things he did. Names, passwords, archives, access, changes, source code ... (and all such things that I do not do for my home grid).
The truth is that 3rd rock grid needs a proposal for a new administrator and maybe hosting.
Maybe someone would agree to host and maintain ....
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They need someone with enough free time (which I don't have) and the desire to take on this job and "clean out the Augean stables"*.
And that someone should document the things he did. Names, passwords, archives, access, changes, source code ... (and all such things that I do not do for my home grid).
The truth is that 3rd rock grid needs a proposal for a new administrator and maybe hosting.
Maybe someone would agree to host and maintain ....
Can anyone get the OARs and possibly iars out for folks? If you have the OARs and iars, you could rebuild the grid as much as possible on new servers with new hosting.
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