Stealth change to account types?

There is a difference between the natural effects of having been around longer - being more experienced, having had more opportunity, etc, which of course nobody can complain about - and artificial ones that are just a result of the Lindens having made particular choices about their business model at different times.

These forums are like "Ground Hog's Day". The same useless pointless topics argued over and over again. *yawn*

I never fully understood the implications of the FIC until this post.

This injustice must stop!

They may not be turning a profit. All you can really say is that their expenses are lower. The only significant financial advantage charter members _may_ enjoy is the $31 they save on tier fees. And I
don't see that as that much of an advantage (or disadvantage for the new business owner).



That was just one example. But that said, a new business owner can located their store wherever they want. Close to a telehub or in timbuktu far away from a telehub.

RRL = Really Redundant Loop



What's particularly fascinating to me here is:
We're just missing someone born in September 2002, and then we've got a comprehensive span of the years like good insurance coverage.

Now, when I was new in this online world, I was thought to be the alt of a number of oldtyme Residents—and more!—but as pieces of the puzzle began to emerge, it was far more likely I was in fact a learned student of the ways of SL, and a keen devotee to the history of the world.

I am... in fact... a composite of a lot that has come before me. The hopes and fears I express are not because of myself alone, but that I have been inspired, influenced by the community of Second Life.

I wish I could have been around to see the land rushes, but I wasn't.

I wish I was around back here to claim Charter status, but I was not.

I wish I could have seen the "newbie corral" come to life, but no, I did not, and ended up in the classic Ahern-Morris Welcome Area... which many of you reading this may have never seen!

The thing is, there's history preserved. Pictures snapped and stored in the Governor's Mansion in Clementina, and of course, many stories told. I made it a point to seek out many venerable Resis and learn from them, so that I may live a fuller, more happier Second Life, having shown respect for my elders and a grace to welcome those newer than myself. So that I was helped, and that I may help in kind.

I bow my head to the knowledge of the elder Residents in Second Life, to hear their tales, to give them a good listen. For both the very young and the very old to this world often share something in common: like our offline parallels, they are as children, eyes wide open to the possibilities of this place. I sometimes visit with friendly Resis 2, even 3 years old in their homes, and they often express amazement at how far the world has come, how things used to be back in the old days, and still, there is a curiosity for what's in store for the future.

Application of knowledge has taught me a lot. I don't think there is enough listening and appreciation for old-timer's tales here, but if more ears were receptive, the younger could see how beneficial it is, even in such a fast-moving world, how beneficial it is to stroll through the grass at a leisurely pace and enjoy a sunset with a loved one.

Competition? What about more collaboration! Encouraging each other to make excellent products, diversifying the choice for a tete consumer like myself so I may amaze and praise! Infact, there should be more younger craftspeople working as apprentices on the land of journeymen avatars. They could have a free place to stay and set up shop, and in return, the newer energizes the older with news of what's happening inworld. Meanwhile, a powerful friendship would develop.

There are many connections here.

A couple generations ago, people in the US were given free land that they could claim, the most famous example being Oklahoma. The gov't changed their business model - they do not give out federally owned land for free anymore.

Do we all get free land nowadays? No. Should we be upset that they got it? I'm not.

At any rate, what is your solution to this "problem"?

To reinforce LF's post - Most people with the free 4096 do NOT use it for business purposes... and those people who do have it have long outlived its usefulness. Midnight City for instance is on a private island. You cannot use the free tier to get a discount on island fees or anything like that.On top of that, just about everyone with the free 4096 was used to owning a lot more land in the pre-1.2 world, since the land was ALL free, no concept of tier existed.
I myself owned 1/3 - 1/4 of Blue and had to release everything when 1.2 came along.

Yeah, let me tell you hwat, that 4096m2 free sure is offsetting the 120,000m2 we own know.

Oh wait. We're FIC. We don't pay for that either. Silly me.

ALSO: The easter bunny is for reals, and I've been probed by aliens.

You wanna tell us who specifically?

I own one.

Enabran owns none.

Who Coco? Who are the players browbeating you who strung together several 4096 accounts?

Quit speculating. Either show where the people who disagreed with you have admitted (like you and first land) to what you claim, or knock it off.

People act like the lifetime accounts were some gift. We PAID for them - I paid $225 for mine in Dec 2003 - some people bought theirs earlier. At that time, we had no idea what the long term viability of SL was. I also pay $300 a month in tier ON TOP of my lifetime account. It was a legitimate offer that LL made at the time, just as any company has promotions. For example, I use the Cloudmark anti-spam service. As I was a beta tester, I pay $1.99 a month now - normal users pay $4.99. Wow that is shockingly unfair, they should get right on that too.

BTW, feel free to complain about all of the premium members who have 1024m of tier for their premium fee, instead of 512m. Everyone who had an account before version 1.2 has double tier allowance with their premium. That $5 a month probably makes a world of difference too.

All the people who paid for their first basic account should also demand a refund since now you can get one for free. Everything must stay the same always - no special deals!

No shit. Turn the fucking page already, my god.

Actually, Nolan, LL specifically forbade that kind of 'lifetime account pooling' before Coco even existed on SL.

There was an individual who bought about 15 lifetimes and demanded that LL give them their own sim.

LL said nope, sorry, it don't work that way.

So if that is going on now, LL isn't aware of it. And I doubt Coco is aware of it either.

Over and over again, it's the same crap, there's just NO possible way that the successful folks in SL could have *possibly* been successful on their own merit. It just HAS to be that they have the 10%/4096 lifer/Linden subsidies, blah blah blah.

And that's really insulting to many of us who paid and clawed and worked our way to subsistence before these folks had ever rezzed in. (And suddenly they're the authority on who's who, and who 's been given what.)

No, sorry, it takes a lot more than a "free" (it wasn't free.) patch of land to make or break a business.

Wow, it would take 16 lifetime accounts strung together just to cover 1 sim, at a cool $3600 invested upfront. Seems a bit easier to pay for a sim and just pay the monthly tier fee, since you never know when SL might go under.

None of the people criticizing you for buying a piece of first land on an alt account (and continuing your endless justifications for doing so even after saying you wanted to hear from the Lindens, who answered clearly) own multiple lifetime accounts. I own 1, Nolan owns one, Eboni wasn't around at the time, Enabran wasn't around at the time, April wasn't around (I don't think), and no one else I saw chime in on the subject is a multi-lifetime account holder. In fact, the only person who raised the spectre of that issue was Catherine, and she didn't even elaborate (who knows, maybe she owns more than one, she was around at the time).

Regardless, they are not even remotely the same issue, and you know it. You stonewall on the issue of the First Land because you know there is no justification for it, so it is easier to bluster about it and talk in a circle. It is very clear cut. First land is a program for new players to help them find first plot of land easily, and at a discount since they generally have limited resources to start. Robin and Jeska both stated it clearly, but you didn't like their answer, so you will put a spin on it. I know you didn't knowingly buy the land out of trying to get away with something, but your campaign about why it isn't wrong now is disingenous at best.

Purchasing an account that was freely offered (in limited quantities) at the time, available to anyone, is no different than buying multiple premium accounts now. BTW, it would have been wrong to buy two lifetime accounts and grab two plots of First Land (called Land for Landless) at the time.

Or - Cristiano - we could just let new players bring up topics even though they may be old to you.

And then we could discuss it. Even, you know, NOT curse about it.

If the topics are so old hat to older players, then I suggest they stop reading them.

coco

Well, first off, I can't say any names on here. Second off, I said "MAY". "Who may have bought several such accounts."

Thirdly, I don't see anything immoral about paying $300 or whatever it was and getting that lifetime deal, at the time, AND I don't see anything immoral with paying $72 for a premium account and getting the 512 that comes with it at this time.

And there's not a dang thing illegal about either, either.

I'm saying some people are awfully quick to get on a new player's case for buying 2-5 premium accounts and getting First Land with each of them, which is kinda mean, considering that current advantage is nowhere near the deal those people enjoyed with their lifetime accounts.

coco

Maybe he was referring to you.

Most respondants have been polite in explaining things to Yumi.

That, despite that rather cynical nature of the title of this thread.

They have, and I thank people for explaining things.

As for the cynicism, well, I guess some of the other stuff on this forum and Brace's blog is rubbing off on me.

You know what I heard? I heard people with lifetime accounts actually get their own Linden to make shit for them. Professionally. 20 hours of work each week, for free. And then the Linden edits the creator settings for all the assets to say the account-holder's name.

I shit you not.

Now not even the Forum 5 can protect you Enabran. By revealing these secrets you are a rogue and on your own. God Speed.

Oh, really? Well, sorry I misunderstood.

If he was addressing me specifically, I would request that he be a tad more polite and stop cursing at me.

coco

I WILL DEFEND JUSTICE!





(and watch it, too. in the metaverse)

Well, I do secretly own that entire sim Nolan. *shrugs*

And Coco? I don't think that it is just the people that have been around forever that LL is on first name basis with that are getting all the perks thrown their way. Back it up or stop saying it. And by backing it up...I mean, talk to EVERY content creator, EVERY land baron, EVERY business person in SL, to make sure of who is and who isn't getting "perks". Show me the numbers after doing that. Also, show me comments directly made by LL or representatives of LL stating that they do throw perks the way of older players because they know them. Just because _you_ personally or _your_ friends have not received anything, does not mean that there aren't other creators and designers _other_ than say the Midnights and Aimee Weber (to name the three that seem to be most popular to these accusations) that aren't talked to and offered things by LL.

You don't have any names. Yeah "may", way to leave yourself room to wriggle out. Why say it at all if its speculation? You'll notice I called it speculation. And it's annoying. Just another thread where you have to slide in your ire over being proven wrong with regard to the Linden's feelings on First Land.

Secondly, it's not allowed to string together 4096 accounts, so it's a moot point.

That's fine, however, LL has stated that they would prefer you didn't. Hey, whatever Coco, you do what you need to do. I do wonder however, with the number of times you've insisted on dragging this out into any thread that is even remotely linkable to any sort of accounts, why you are doing it? Are you feeling some guilt, and this righteous indignation is a coping mechanism? Or are you just bitter and lashing out? Or just so used to getting your way that it's frustrating you to no end?

See, this is hyperbole at it's worst. I don't remember anyone calling it "illegal". Ethicality and legality are not synonyms. You asked the SL public a question about the ethicality of it. Some people said it wasn't ethical, and damned if we aren't still being bitched at in every possible thread you can insert it into, for doing what you asked us to do - ANSWER! Why on earth did you even bother to ask if you had already made up your mind? A simple Hotline question, CS phone call or email could have sufficed. You invited the debate, and after LL stated basically what numerous people were trying to tell you, you are PISSED as a hornet about it.

Whose new? You're well over a half year old. You can't keep playing that newbie card - you're hardly a newbie. Mean? You started a thread for debate on the issue!

I haven't seen any "new players" jumped on for it - links please?

Moral: Don't ever answer the wrong way on a question Coco poses, you might hear about it for weeks and months.

I was referring to you.

You were lucky you unloaded it, as it now looks like Water World.