In virtual worlds, here's an experience that most of us can relate to. Well, it's a bunch of experiences but they all boil down to the same thing.
You're at a party and you realize that, although you like the company, you're not enjoying the music. You go to a freebie sim, and the radio is awful. Or someone's in Voice, and it's annoying. Or the sim has ambient sounds that are getting on your nerves.
What can you do? Well it's quite easy. The Viewer gives you a subjective, personalized experience.
You can mute your Viewer (top right) or open the Volume controls and mute the specific source of sound that is bothering you. The beauty of this is that, chances are, nobody will know you did it. You can even throw a few Applauses into Local Chat when everyone else does, and you'll seem to be in synch with the set.
What, though, can you do if the thing that bothers you is visible, not audible?
That's a bit more tricky, but yes! It may be possible for you to resolve the problem without you having to leave the party, and without you having to ask other people to modify what they're doing, thus interfering with their enjoyment of an event. Because nobody wants to be that person.