Mizuki Shade
Second Life’s search and traffic systems are in need of a revamp. New users I’ve invited consistently say “popular” places, ranked high by traffic, are ghost towns with bots or AFK avatars in skyboxes, and my own observations tend to make me agree. This misleads everyone, makes SL feel empty, and hurts creators and the grid’s growth. Unwanted content clogs search results, and discovery of active places is slow and frustrating, especially for new residents.
## Key Problems
  • Weak Search Filters
    : Limited to rating, name, category, or traffic. Traffic is easily gamed by bots, pushing empty venues to the top.
  • Bot Abuse
    : Parcels with no real activity contaminate search via bot-inflated traffic, misleading users and contributing to "dead grid" sentiment.
  • No User Control
    : No way to blacklist unwanted search terms (extreme NSFW content even when searching for adult listings) or spammy keyword listings.
  • Poor Visibility
    : New or active places (packed events) don’t show up until traffic updates the next day, while high-traffic venues from past events appear busy but are empty.
  • Keyword Dependency
    : Searches require a keyword, blocking broad category browsing (for example all shopping listings), making it difficult to find listings if your English keyword does not match, say a JP land description, or the owner did not keyword the land description well.
## Proposed Solutions
  • Enhanced Search Filters
    :
- Sort by “current active users” (real-time avatar count, excluding scripted agents).
- Blacklist specific search terms to filter unwanted content.
- Blacklist individual parcels, listings, or owners, similar to Marketplace creator bans, to curate results.
- "Newest/Oldest" sorting filter, perhaps use land claimed dates to let users search for the oldest or newest listings, helping new places get visibility, and letting new users know what places have been around for a long time!
  • User Rating System
    :
- Add parcel ratings for paid accounts (Premium, 3+ months) to ensure credibility. Remove ratings if accounts are banned.
- Allow sorting by user ratings to help highlight genuine venues.
  • Traffic System Overhaul
    :
- Cap free account traffic at 10% (0.1 points/min vs. 1 point/min).
- Use diminishing returns for long stays (1 point/min for first 60 min, 0.5 for next 60, 0.25 beyond).
- Limit traffic generation to 16 hours/day per account to prevent 24/7 bot farming. (people have to sleep, this also reduces the weight adult "AFK" places get in search.)
- Average traffic over a week, updating daily to avoid significant one-day event spikes, paired with “current users” filter for real-time discovery.
## Additional Thoughts
  • Why Paid/3-Month Ratings?
    Limiting ratings to aged, paid accounts reduces fake reviews from bot farmers. Banning accounts removes their ratings, minimizing harm from aged bot farms when enforcement is applied.
  • Free Account Cap Risks
    : Capping free accounts traffic contributions may frustrate new users supporting venues. An in-world tutorial (e.g., a button next to traffic in “About Land”) could explain Premium upgrades for full contribution.
  • Enforcement Gaps
    : Traffic manipulation and undeclared scripted agents violate TOS to the best of my knowledge, but enforcement seems rare. A dedicated abuse report category could prompt faster parcel audits.
  • Community Tools
    : Tools like BonnieBots show demand for real activity tracking. Baking similar analytics into SL’s systems could build trust and engagement, especially for new users unaware of third-party services.
## Closing Notes
A fairer, more user friendly system will help keep users engaged, benefiting all of SL. Newcomers need clear, built-in tools, not third-party workarounds to find active places. These proposed changes let residents curate their experience and discover vibrant content easily. Thanks for reading and feel free to weigh in on this!
(Note: Posted in User Interface as search and traffic are user-facing systems requiring UI updates if any of this is implemented.)
(PS. If someone from Linden Lab sees this -please- advertise SL on varied social media and websites, any time I mention SL most people have never heard of it, and even as an active user I haven't seen any advertisements in ages.)