third Rock Grid, one of many oldest grids in OpenSim, is coming again.
The grid shut down in 2024, and lots of of its former residents discovered new properties on ZetaWorlds.
However now its unique proprietor and founder, Terry Ford, is bringing it again to life.
Ford started engaged on the grid again in 2007, and opened it to the general public in 2008. By that August, he had rented out 178 areas, and the grid had the primary working permissions system and was the additionally first OpenSim grid with a working economic system.
third Rock Grid was additionally the primary house of Linda Kelly, a content material creator who modified the look-and-feel of OpenSim by gifting away a large quantity of free, unique, absolutely licensed content material, serving to new grid house owners outfit their customers with out violating copyright legal guidelines.
“She bought her begin in OpenSim at third Rock Grid and was an enormous a part of our early success,” Ford mentioned.
However then his spouse handed away and he was compelled to step again.
“I simply didn’t have the time to commit to the grid again then,” he advised Hypergrid Enterprise. He nonetheless continued engaged on the grid within the background, nevertheless.
In 2015, he opened a brand new grid and OpenSim internet hosting firm, DigiWorldz, however nonetheless helped out on third Rock. “I continued caring for the servers, code, etcetera till 2021,” he mentioned. That’s when the brand new house owners of third Rock Grid determined to create a non-profit and transfer the tech assist to a workforce based mostly in Europe.
When third Rock Grid shut down in 2024, he provided to assist out once more or to purchase the area again. “However they declined,” he mentioned.
Then the area got here again up on the market final month.
“third Rock Grid has meant rather a lot to me and lots of others over time, and with the historical past and the numerous firsts, I simply needed to deliver it again,” he mentioned.
To this point, Ford has put up three areas — Welcome, Hunter, and Our City — the identical three areas that the grid initially launched with again in 2008.
The Welcome area is open to the general public, and could be accessed through hypergrid at grid.3rdrockgrid.com:8002.
“However there’s nothing there but,” Ford mentioned. “I think in every week or two we’ll be prepared for brand spanking new customers.”
Ford doesn’t have entry to the grid’s content material as of the time it closed, however does have 196 outdated area backups from the 2021 transition.
“I can’t use these backups because the grid wasn’t mine then, but when the previous house owners agree, and anybody desires to place them again on-line, I’ll do it,” he says. “However, once more, solely with permission from the previous house owners.”
To search out out if backups can be found, former area house owners can contact him instantly, he mentioned, at [email protected].
So what’s going to occur to DigiWorldz, Ford’s present grid challenge? That grid — which presently is the equal of two,535 normal areas in measurement, with over 13,000 registered customers and practically 2,000 lively month-to-month customers — will proceed on because it at all times has.
“Will probably be enterprise as common at DigiWorldz,” he mentioned. “third Rock Grid isn’t going to be DigiWorldz and DigiWorldz isn’t going to be third Rock. Whereas they are going to share the inner programs and our new management panel, each grids shall be separate authorized entities, and every may have its personal identification made up of its customers. My hope is that a number of the outdated customers will return and assist to construct the longer term third Rock Grid neighborhood. Everybody shall be welcome.”
Area pricing info for third Rock Grid isn’t but accessible on its web site, however on DigiWorldz, areas begin at $11 a month for a 25,000-prim standard-size starter area.
