Petition to Boycot In-Game Classifieds

I realize that there's a few similar threads about Classifieds closing, but no real organized protest movement.

I hereby petition the Second Life community to assist in the outright boycott of the new in-game classified travesty.

By signing this boycott, you are honor bound to never use the in-game classifieds for advertisment or shopping purposes (goods and services).

Let me be the first to sign.

/signed

Better idea, let's make a replacement.

I'm in favor of additional avenues and improving "bloodflow", not cutting off what we already have.

One could even suggest that we use the SL Forums Classifieds A LOT MORE right now, to best take advantage of it during the sure time it's still open!

Yes, because generally when we boycott something, it is designed to hurt someone other than ourselves.

I think a boycott of the classifieds might only serve to hurt our designers, consumers, and creators.

Better idea would be to create an alternative to eventually render the classifieds irrelevant.

The problem being is that there is no ONE central location. I hear tell of moving to website 1, website 2 and website 3..... that's just too much of a hassle to search 3 separate forum listings.

consumer boycotts almost never work. At best, you'll get maybe 5% of people agreeing with you. The other 95% will use the new service, love it, and perpetuate its success.

Remember the "boycott the gas station this week" email forwards? Same concept...never worked.

People will go where their needs are fulfilled. Classifieds will do that in-client.

LF

I'm still not 100% sure why even WITH in game advertising, the forum classifieds have to close. Is it purely and simply to ensure that everyone HAS to use the L$250 version? If so that's very sad indeed. If not...then please allow them to run alongside.

There is no possible replacement though.

- it has to be a single replacement, (not various websites)
- it has to include all products, (not just those who view that list or use a praticular site)
- it has to have inworld links (if it's only web based, lots just wont use it)

This is only possible if the Lindens do it.

All other replacements are just another version of "let's start our own forum" or "everyone should just use SL Boutique." That's not the same thing.

I'm not sure cutting off the nose to spite the face is going to be the best move here. People need exposure where they can get it. If less people use the classifieds, Linden Lab doesn't actually lose money, since the L$ aren't of value to them and the classified ads function as a cash burner or "sink." Meanwhile, less people are advertising and the result is a big hurt put on their revenues.

All you'll end up doing is losing advertising impressions and hurting your bottom line even more.

The classified forums really don't deserve to be trashed, but you're only screwing yourself further with a boycott.

I planned to boycott them; in fact, I boycott them now!

But that's only because I have seen the classified and don't think they are worth me spending $250 a week to be listed in them. It might be worth it for some now, but when it's the only thing, I would think it would get so full it would be practically useless to try to get noticed in that long list of alphabetical names.

I am hoping the Lindens reconsider and bring back the classified forums for all the various wonderful functions they serve.

coco

So - a portion of the 10% of SL that reads the forums boycotts the in game classifieds... a portion of the other 90% reads about them in the update notes/MOTD and uses them.

Can't see how thats gonna 'stick it to the man'..

Hahaha, thanks for breaking down the math, I was thinking exactly that when I was typing my post.

You win the forums for today, Siggy. Heh.

It still sends a message, even if it's not effective enough to change LL's mind on the subject.

hehe yah - My thoughts on the what and the why are along line with yours Enabran, and don't get me wrong - I do think that the nerfing of the classifieds forums is sucky.

That being said - I voiced my opinion on it, and theres not much else I can besides that.

LL seems to have made up its mind on how things are gonna be - personally I probably won't use the in world classifieds - but I don't think a boycott will be effective, or make much of a diff whatsoever.

I do see this as an excellent opportunity for a third party website to pick up and boost its membership.

Thought the message was sent on the other two or three threads on the subject..

This one just comes off as a temper tantrum... Maybe thats just me - but feel free to stamp your foot!

I come across customers from time to time, or they IM me with questions while I am building. I've noticed that since I have begun advertising at telehubs I see much newer users, either by profile or obvious state of dress.

I am guessing they purchase money, because many spend like they have a *lot* more than $L 1000 to their name.

Perhaps this is not very scientific, and perhaps I am a fool for telling 'business secrets'.

But if it's a secret, it's poorly kept - free advertising opportunities are on the side of most every telehub.

Losing forum classifieds is a terrible thing, but I simply cannot see inworld classifieds as the only de-facto alternative.

I'm sorry, who's stamping their feet. It surely ain't me.

That's foot stamping. You silly goose, you make me laugh!

I won't be using the in-world classifieds, but not out of any attempt to boycott. I won't be using them for the simple and practical reason that they aren't worth my money. There's nothing I can do with the classifieds that I can't already do with the Find I pay for. (Which also isn't worth the money, but they'll fix them 3 or 4 releases ago.)

If they make some major improvements to the classifieds, (multiple photos, for a start) I may give them another look in future, but as they are now, they're pretty much useless to me.

Hey, here's an idea. Carve your store's land into different pieces and make directory listings for each piece, broken up into style or whatever.

And that part has me worried, too, Jonquille. For now, listing in "find" is pretty much as good as listing in classifieds and I would guess, better, and is much the bigger bargain.

Hence, I list in "Find" and not classifieds. To me, classifieds was suspicious from the get-go because it didn't offer anything Find didn't, except for having fewer things listed on it.

Therefore, I believe they will also start charging $250 to be listed in find, or something close to it. I don't believe they will take away find, cause that would be kinda like taking away a dictionary. But they will start charging $250 to be in it.

They've already toyed with the idea of charging to be listed in events.

coco

P.S. One day there will be a "log-on" fee and a "log-off" fee and a fee to use IM and maybe even a fee to chat, with a higher fee to shout. Why not?

Aye, and what a miracle that would be. The fee structure should have been implemented in event listings ages ago,

How would you feel about the chat and log-in fees?

coco

They already have those:

$9.95/month for premium members, $9.95/lifetime for basic accounts (after the first free one)

Haha Seriously, though, I bet you could come up with some more innovative ways to charge for things.

coco