Save the Hippos!!

A quick break from our freebie hunting for this public service announcement.

The hippo, unofficial mascot of Second Life, is a part of SL lore that goes back to beta. A short history of the hippo in SL can be had at the SL Wiki.

An Easter egg was introduced into the viewer code that allowed Residents to proclaim "Hippos!' when bugs were discovered and squashed. Of course, the old easter egg refers not just to the bug-squashing, evil-gnome-squishing hippos of times past, but also symbolizes the happy-go-lucky nature the Lindens once had with Residents. The Easter egg (Ctl-Alt-Shft-H) symbolised this happy time, a way for any and every resident to proclaim "HIPPOS!" whenever they liked.

Currently, this Easter egg has been removed from the viewer. We do not want to see SL history removed one piece at a time - and we're determined to stop the erosion of Second Life culture at the root.

Please visit the below URL and vote in the JIRA to put the hippo Easter egg back into the viewer, and pass this notecard along to friends so they can read and vote too. Help us Save the Hippos!

"Oh the great hippo! Stomper of gnomes! Savior of all Second Life! How we worship thee!"

Want to do more to help save the hippo? You can get a box with a sign, a display hippo, a t-shirt, and a hippo shoulder pet at either here or here. We need more votes!