So what is that RestrainedLife thing anyway ?

Ok so this blog is also about technical info. Let's get dirty.

First of all, Residents of Second Life are expected to log in that virtual world thanks to a software they installed on their computer. This software is called a "viewer", sometimes "client" by computer scientists because it connects to remote "servers" and requests "services" such as the right to live a virtual life, no less. But let's call it "viewer" for now.

It just so happens that this viewer has been released as an open-source project in the beginning of the year 2007. This means that anybody can modify its code to add functionalities, fix bugs, and even submit patches to Linden Lab (developers of Second Life) so they integrate the bug fixes and new features into the next versions. Works well and the quality of the regular viewer has greatly increased lately thanks to the open-source community.

Now, my kink is not to add functionalities but... to remove them. To be more precise, to forbid the user from doing some things on request from worn in-world objects, such as detaching them, talking, teleporting... all that makes your you... you.

Wear cuffs, lock them and if you're using that viewer... they will stay on your avatar no matter what you do. And that enhances the experience of being restrained in that virtual world as usually, a locked item can only complain when it's detached without permission, when the user is logged on with the official viewer.

My thoughts about this are complicated, long story short I totally agree with Linden Lab's policy of not being able to force anybody to do anything. This is a land of rights, nobody can be truly enslaved. But the BDSM online world mostly revolves around Roleplay and the unspoken rules that it enforces. I'm not talking about people who mix RL and SL domination, that's another subject, but only about people who, like me, log in to live their kink.

Roleplay. Now what does that mean ? It means that if two people choose to establish an online D/s relationship, the top expects the bottom to obey, learn, respect, accept punishments, overall evolve, all within the rules and limitations of the platform used (here, SL). I love this relationship and it is based on mutual trust only. But this means that you can't really force your sub to do anything, just induce her to do so. No restraint will force her, the props are just props.

It is different if the sub uses the RestrainedLife viewer because it can :
- Render a locked item undetachable
- Prevent speech
- Prevent hearing (with exceptions if needed)
- Prevent sending Instant Messages (with exceptions if needed)
- Prevent receiving Instant Messages (with exceptions if needed)
- Prevent teleporting (with exceptions if needed)
- Prevent sit-tp beyond a short distance (useful for cages)

I will never stress this enough : it is not a mandatory thing when it comes to experiencing BDSM in SL, it just enhances the experience. If you've practiced BDSM in SL before, you'll see why it is a welcome addition.

That was for the introduction of that viewer, if you want to know more, or even give it a try, you may go to my shop in-world (look at the Picks section in my SL profile), and click on the rotating cube on the left.

It is open-source of course, so if you download the executable you'll also get the source code, so you can make sure there is no trick : it doesn't do more nor less than advertised.

When you click on that cube, you are given a folder containing some scripts and a Readme notecard that explains it all. Basically, the RealRestraint products are still sold without the scripts so you have to add them yourself, according to which script does what. For instance, add the NoSendChat to the RR gag.

Then you go to the URL written in the notecard (at the time of this writing it is available on www.erestraint.com/realrestraint, thank you Orchid !), to retrieve the zip file. Once downloaded, uncompress it in your Second Life installation folder, backing your old "SecondLife.exe" file up first because it will be overwritten. The sources are contained inside the "src" folder but most people are only here to play, not to code. Don't forget to run an anti-virus.

Run the new "SecondLife.exe" executable and you're in !