Google just launched a new product called Lively and, well, it’s pretty deadly. Yes, we know it’s a beta.  But I haven’t experienced a more frustrating interface since attempting to win a cupie doll at the carvinal with a barely functional squirt gun.  There is a lot of grief in the blogosphere and a lot of really dumb hype (mostly about pr0n) from “official” news sources. However - underneath all this bad are some strikingly good ideas.

What is Google Lively and what’s so frustrating?
Google Lively emerged from one of the so-called “20%” projects that Google employees are allowed to work on during the day unrelated to their tasks at hand.  It’s basically flash-driven 3-D world with chat rooms and furniture.  Sound exciting?  It isn’t.  The primary problem is that the human-computer interface is like a step backwards.  If you are controlling a little animated guy in a 3-D world, then it better at least stand up to SNES or even Doom III.   Lets not forget that games like World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto IV are redefining our concept of what it “means” to navigate an avatar around a virtual world.  No, this image is not Google Lively (it is a cute self-interacting image from the equally unlively Runescape), and no, I am not going to attempt to embed this barely-working 3D world on GeekSouth.  Maybe later.

Every “waiting to load” or jerking movement or bug in the interface feels like pure torture. Commentary from curious bystanders essentially is about how lame things are and “Where is the pr0n?”  Hey, they wanted to compete with Second Life (wink wink nudge nudge). But lets just move past this and pretend that at some point in the future, Google Lively will be very smooth and easy to use at least…

Why else does it fail besides the choppiness?
The art.  The world to me looks like something derived from Cartoon Network of the nineties. Because the avatars have a lot of complicated hugging and dancing movements, you can’t really customize them very much.  Basically, generic white dude, generic black dude, and a kitten.  And pretty dumb looking furniture that you couldn’t even find at Target.  There is also the “rooms” that you create.  Yes, it’s not one “massive” world but in fact a bunch of rooms that each person has the freedom to create.  Almost every room is miniscule compared to Google’s room, which is a large multi-floor building surrounded by a large grounds.  No, don’t even try going in there.

Obviously, there are going to be way more rooms that are available, way more furniture, etc.  Lets move past this point and imagine that in the future, rooms will be well designed and larger and there will be so much furniture and “stuff” that you can decorate your room exactly how you want at least…

What exactly is the point?
User accounts.  Google has decided their primary focus in the near term is getting everyone on the planet to create a Google Account.  What happens after that or the reason you actually did it is not quite as important as the fact that you actually have one.  Don’t have an account?  Chances are you will soon. They can figure out how to profit later through a million different ways, primarily though their Adwords.  There is also something else… something perhaps very powerful.

Anything revolutionary going on here?
I’ve read Google’s explanation of why they created it.  I’ve read the analysis of why people think they created it.  So far, the gist of the hype is that they want to create a virtual world like Second Life that is distributed instead of centralized.  No “land grabs” or anything. Everyone can create a room.  Anyone can search for types of rooms. It’s free to play. And, you dont’ have to install a huge program to play it.  Finally, you can embed the rooms on your websites!  To convince people to sign up for a Google Account!

But there is definitely something interesting happening that the net has never seen.  It’s not new to introduce the idea that players can adapt the game they play.  Custom levels have been around forever. It’s not new to embed video or even games on other websites.  What is new (at least to me) is the concept of combining the web with user-generated content in custom virtual worlds.

When I said “furniture” earlier, what I really meant was “dynamic net-enabled objects.” For example, one object in Google Lively is a “picture frame.”  Hilariously, when I struggled to place the object into a room, it ended up on the floor.  Try as I might, I could not move it to a wall.  Anyway, it was pretty easy to add images from my flickr account to the picture frame.  So I had this pretty animated gallery of images in a picture frame!  On the floor!  Laugh as you might, the idea is pretty powerful.  Pictures, video, games, web pages, chat, voice, documents, downloads, Google Apps, Google Ads, Google Earth, where does it end?  Sadly, it’s a clearly a bit early and also a bit silly to try to fit the capabilities of PCs and the internet inside a tiny, choppy, poorly animated object.  But what I wonder is… what happens when you embed Google Lively inside Google Lively.

Whoa……….

Linux/Open Source programs for Windows
A Cost Effective Business Alternative

At this GeekSouth meeting (July 23, 2008) we will be discussing Linux, Open Source programs, Open Source programs that have been ported for windows, and how the these programs can be used as a cost effective alternative to windows and windows based programs.  The presentation will be given by Ben of Benzi Computers (www.benzicomputers.com).

• Meeting location: Cootie Browns 1919 N Eastman Rd, Kingsport, TN (google map)
• Date: Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
• Time: 6:00pm to whenever  –  presentation will start around 6:30pm to 7:00pm.  So come early and mingle!

This even on the social web:

• Upcoming
• Facebook

You’ve heard of LinkedIn haven’t you?  I’ve heard it described as a social network that might actually help you get a job.

Anyways, I’ve created a GeekSouth Group on LinkedIn if you’d like to join up.

It has been quite a while since the first GeekSouth meeting went down (December 21, 2005!!!).  When things first started coming together we quickly slapped up this Wordpress blog, the forum, and the wiki.

Honestly the forum and the wiki never got off the ground.  The wiki was plagued with wiki-spam, and comments to the forum were just a small trickle.  This main page, beyond a few odd posts here and there, really served as a way to announce meetings.

So we ask you geeks, what would you want to see happening on www.geeksouth.com?  Is it just fine to keep the blog to announce the meetings because the meetings are where the fun happens?  Or do you want something bigger and better here.  I’ve created a forum thread (link) for us to discuss thing.  Please throw your 2 cents in because it does count.

If you don’t have a forum account, and don’t feel like creating one post a comment here or e-mail Austin and he’ll sling  it up for you.

Update: Ben Collins has started some ideas flowing on the Forum.  We need your ideas!

Do you have a smoking fast or uber-cool system or tech gadget you would like to show the Geeks? On Saturday June 21, 2008 at noon, come for a Geek South Lunch time event.    We want to see computer equipment, cell phones, GPS, PDA, calculators or some other tech gadget you could bring. Be prepared to demonstrate it, show it off, and answer questions about it. You know us Geek, we want all the details!! Or perhaps in a closet, attic or garage you have some old tech gadgets that we can reminisce about. Pull it out and bring the ancient stuff also. This Geek South is all about the High End vs. Low End, Old vs. New in techie items. Join us at Noon at Russo’s in Johnson City. We wanted to have plenty of time to setup and show the gadgets so please plan to be ready for action no later than 12:30. This should be an exciting event so definitely tell all your fellow Geeks!

For those who are going to participate please be sure to bring an extension cord and surge protector if you need to plug in.

Don’t forget while you are surfing and shopping be sure to pick up a Geek South T-Shirt to show your Geek South Pride!

See you there!! Geek South

This Saturday, May 24th, Geeks with Grills!  We are planning to have a LOW-TECH GeekSouth meeting this time, so your laptops and mobile phones won’t be necessary¹.  Just bring yourself and an item from our punchbowl list (you’ll be getting an e-mail soon) to the cookout!  We will be meeting at Jose’s house which you can find here.

The menu will be Hamburgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, maybe even some shish kabobs etc.  All of that will be provited, but we need you to bring sides and drinks.  Chips, coleslaw, baked beans, dessert, whatever you want to bring!  Alcohol is allowed… Austin drinks yeungling btw

It is important that we get a headcount for this event.  If you haven’t gotten an e-mail from mypunchbowl.com by 05/22/08 shoot an e-mail to geeksouth05@gmail.com if you are going to attend.

Kids are welcome!

Be prepared to relax and chat with your fellow Geeks!  Hopefully we will see some people sporting their Geek South Shirts which you can find here.

¹ → Don’t worry!  You can still bring your laptops and mobiles.  There will be wifi (this IS Jose’s house after all), but the point is to get outside away from our screens for a bit.

The kickoff meeting of the newly-formed Western North Carolina .NET Developers Guild, on May 13^th, will feature a presentation on “Building Next Generation Web Applications with VS2008” given by the Carolinas’ Microsoft Developer Evangelist Brian Hitney.

WHAT: WncDotNet is a newly formed developer group dedicated to promoting Microsoft .NET technology and education to the software developer community near Asheville, NC and the surrounding area. Aside from often having great items to give away, monthly meetings will offer refreshments and professional networking and educational programs.

WHEN: Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 6 to 8:30 PM . Kickoff meeting is May 13^th.

WHERE: At ImageSmith Communications, located near Asheville at 19 Walden Drive in Arden (near the intersection of Sweeten Creek, Hendersonville, and Airport roads). See www.imagesmith.com for a map and directions.

WHO: Anyone interested in .NET software development is invited to join the group. For more details, or to join, please browse the WncDotNet website at www.wncdotnet.com. If you have an interest in helping to steer or sponsor the group or making presentations at meetings, please contact WncDotNet via the website or call Dave Kolb at 828-398-0694.

Via Knoxville twitter user @whodini, we have learned that there will be a Happy Hour Tweetup today at Aubrey’s Peppermill at 5pm.

I know next-to-nothing about Knoxville so I won’t attempt to post a Google Maps link.  However feel free to leave more info in the comments.

Also, make sure you are following @geeksouth on Twitter as we’ll try to keep that current with events.  If you have an event you’d like us to post and twitter about send an e-mail to geeksouth05@gmail.com or direct twitter @geeksouth.

Come out this Thursday, April 17th at 7pm our monthly GeekSouth Dinner.  This month Lee Trout will give a presentation on Flash:

Leveraging Flash as a desktop development platform great for startups and mature businesses who need graphical interactive experiences at a fraction of the cost of custom developments.  I’ll be showcasing the software I managed (computer games for speech language pathologists) and how I helped start the company with accompanying business services including printing and disc manufacturing.

We will be meeting at Fun Expedition in Johnson City.  That’s right.  Fun Expedition.  Batting cages, Go-Carts, the whole works.  Make sure you come ready for some Geek Laser Tag.

Fun Expedition is located at 2805 North Roan Street in Johnson City (Google Map).

Update: Eric McCarty has added a set of photos to Flickr from our time at Fun Expedition.  You can see those here.  It was an awesome presentation and an awesome time.

So I thought from time to time I’d post some info on a new site or other geeky thing that gets my attention.

First installment… Muxtape. The site is best described by its own tagline: “a simple way to create and share mp3 mixtapes”.  Creating an account is dead simple (you are asked for a name, a password, and an e-mail address) and then you are immediately able to create your muxtape by uploading 12 MP3’s.

Your muxtape comes complete with a unique url (mine is austinmoody.muxtape.com), RSS feed, and HUGE fonts (Web 2.0 FTW!).

I love this site, and hope it stays around.  My biggest worry, of course, is how long the record industry will allow it to stay around.  The Muxtape terms in the line that people cannot upload “songs they do not have permission to let Muxtape use” which I figure means just about anything.

Quick!  I need to find some new artists to check out.  Create a Muxtape and slap the url in the comments.

Oh yeah… another bonus for iPhone owners, you can totally listen to music from a Muxtape direct on your device.  Good times.