spend more time working on it. I do still manage one or two releases a year, and it’s been downloaded over 15,000 times, so I guess somebody is finding it useful! I started writing it in 2006 as I was looking for a way to convert bvh files to be Second Life compatible. It has since evolved into a useful tool for the final preparation of bvh files before uploading them to SL. Why would I share bvhacker for free? Well, it doesn’t actually form the core of my animation production pipeline, so I’m not really giving away too much by sharing it. I also enjoy the both the challenge of coding in 3D using C++ and the sense of achievement each time I finish a new release, and, well, what’s an achievement if you can’t share it! SS: One of the highlights of your store is that your customers are always taken care of. You’ve managed to keep great customer service around the clock with the use of an innovative avatar, Shopkeeper Sideways. I don’t know whether I should call it a “bot” since it is somewhat of an avatar and a lot more intelligent than most of the standard “bots”, but explain to the readers a little about this marvelous creation and some of the things it does to increase customer service. Also, do you offer these creations for sale or rent to other companies? DB: Well, I do try to offer the best customer support possible. The trouble comes when SL is being buggy - it’s totally overwhelming finding my email inbox is packed with over 80 emails first thing in the morning! When starting
my own business, I wanted to make sure customers felt safe shopping with Animazoo. I can honestly say that a customer’s message has never been left intentionally unanswered. The trouble was, I’d often find the sheer volume of customer support requests left absolutely no time to actually create animations! So, I decided to create Shopkeeper Sideways. He’s always online, and can answer over 60 of the most common customer queries, including replacing missing items, upgrading existing items, providing instructions for products and creating support tickets. I’ve also tried to give him some of my Brit personality by making him as overly polite and English as possible – he has a few deliberate quirks! The initial announcement of Shopkeeper Sideways on Twitter prompted a number of enquiries from other SL merchants regarding using the system for their businesses. However, for technical reasons, merging our different systems proved too time consuming and therefore expensive. SS: Before we end, I want to pick your brain for a bit of your secret to success. You’ve successfully been in business now for a number of years. You’ve got a great customer base, and probably the most well-known and respected animations in SL. What, or whom, do you credit for the amazing success of the company, besides the incredible animations, of course? DB: I certainly can’t take all the credit for Animazoo Animation’s success, and I’m extremely glad to have the opportunity to