Advertising? In a Welcome Area?

Have any of you seen this post in Announcements by Reuben Linden (/3/b9/41570/1.html). Billboards in a Welcome Area? What are other people's thoughts on this? I always thought advertising at welcome areas was a big no-no? So now is it "advertising at a welcome area is a big no-no unless you've paid Linden Lab money to do it"? It would be great if the welcome areas were free of advertising really, rather than this being the first thing people see when they get here.

yea im gonna agree i still think its a no no but not too much we can do about it.

i don't fault ll any way they can think of to make money.

yea i agree with that too but i would prefer it to be more of a lotto like luna mall. and if you win the lotto then you pay the fee for it.. if you dont pay then someone else down the list gets it.

I just find it strange. It's always been "no advertising at welcome areas full-stop" and for the amount of money this is likely to bring in I can't see why they're doing it. Are Linden Lab desperate for any way to bring a few more dollars in?

Keep the welcome areas free of advertising.

And I know there's sarcasm in there Khamon

I like the idea newbies can find out about stuff more quickly it took me at least a week to find decent shops and places when I was new.

You know maybe it wont be bad if they keep it tasteful and out of the ay. Hopefully it wont be big spinng billboards shooting out particles and such .

geez, newbies dont need to be coddled, there can be a comfortable mix between capitalism and aeseticness....

well newbies prbly wont be able to afford to shop at those places anyways .

True that! I honestly think when we first leave the island we shoudl be dropped in a random sim at random coordinates. Imagine the fun of stumbling around tryin to figure out where the heck you are!

There's that thing called Sponsored Links on the Find window. Oh and there's things like Metaadverse. Oh and there are always plenty of older residents in the welcome area to point people in the right direction. Sorry, I don't see how billboards are necessary or needed in welcome areas.

It's a small thing. I have no problem with advertising businesses, playing the capitalist etc. in SL but, you know, the welcome area should be free from that, rather than throwing advertising at new arrivals as one of the first things they see. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned that way

so true and the old timers are set in their ways as far as shopping, the ads will simply be a money pit
As long as they are kept in that one building in the WA I dont need to see them

I'm not saying they need to be coddled, I'm just saying that maybe LL should stick to their rule that no advertising is allowed in the welcome areas - which is the way it's always been. It's been that way for a reason - to stop people getting inundated with advertising as soon as they're born - this sort or makes that all a little greyer.

I think we should sell double ads, one half of the ad is for a store/service the other half (paid for by the store/service) would be something helpfull like a money tree!!

good idea in theory but i doubt it would pan out very well
Joe smith gets 5 lindens from a money tree.... pays 500 lindens at an advertised store for a shirt.... doesnt mnd paying b/c money grows on trees .... later realises hes out 500 lindens for a silly shirt .

hmmm I remember thinking the welcome area was boring as hell, I would have loved some flashy signs to at least look at and get a flavor of the world...

I'm a year old so none of that existed when I was new and I happen to think both of those are pretty good things Commercialism is not the anitchrist like some people like to believe

I support ads in the newbie area, they should either be for pay or just rotated constantly.

And I wish the ads on the telehubs would get fixed, they don't work. You put them in, they disappar after a minute and give error messages.

Really? That's interesting, I suppose people come here these days primarily because they hear that you can make money and so are much more accepting of commercialism as soon as you step into it. I'm not saying that's wrong, I guess I'm just feeling a little out of touch with it all these days.

No, I know Maeve, but all those do exist now is what I was saying. And no, I don't believe commercialism is the anti-christ either, just so we're clear.

Would you like to elaborate on why you support them? Just interested, is all. The ads on the telehubs have always been a waste of space - does anybody even bother to turn towards the middle of a telehub to even notice they're there?

hehe the only time i have noticed was when i was adding one myself

Welcome to the Ahern-Morris Welcome Area!

If you're new to Second Life, we hope this is your first step towards a richly rewarding experience, filled with creativity, self-expression and fun. If you're a veteran of Second Life, we hope you enjoy the chance to meet newcomers and discuss and show everything you've seen, done, and created.

The goals of the Welcome Area are simple: to provide a friendly, engaging atmosphere for newcomers and veterans to meet and share positive Second Life experiences in a sociable environment.

Within the Welcome Area, we want veterans and newcomers alike to enjoy and contribute to the social activity taking place. As the first thing most new residents see upon leaving the Orientation Island, the Welcome Area helps shape many residents' initial opinions of Second Life.

Second Life's Community Standards and Terms of Service apply within the Welcome Area, as they do throughout Second Life. (Community Standards can be read in world though the Help menu; both Community Standards and Terms of Service can be viewed at http://secondlife.com.)

In addition to the guidelines established in the Community Standards, the following guidelines apply in the Welcome Area:

1. No Selling
New residents start with some spending money, but often don't know what they can buy with it, or how to get more money, when weekly grant bonuses begin, etc. Please give new residents a chance to find their way around, and don't use the Welcome Area to sell items.
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New residents are often don't know what's available in Second Life. While it's one thing to point an individual newcomer to suggestions that match what he or she has expressed interest in, it's quite another to try to teleport each incoming new resident to your business before they've even stepped off the Telehub pad. In general, suggestions made as part of conversation are welcome; however, unsolicited suggestions to join a group, or to go to a specific location, are not. Teleport offers made to residents in the Welcome Area should first be requested by the resident being teleported. If someone is offering you unsolicited offers, please report them by using the "Report Abuse" feature under the Help menu at the top of the screen.
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Linden Welcome Area Regulation
Linden Lab Liaisons and other employees (residents with the last name "Linden" may monitor the Welcome Area, and ask residents to move, alter their appearance, change or remove their objects or attachments, or other requests to promote the environment and server performance of the Welcome Area. Your cooperation is appreciated.


okay.. this is clearly a violation of #!
and personally I see it as a violation of #2 and #6

Well, Im pretty sure its going to be restricted to the "Sponsored Places" pavillion. That is one of the four pavillions, the others are Games, Information, and Building. I am assuming that it will be in there and open selling in the common areas will be restricted, as always. You will have to actively walk over there in order to view advertising on a predefined format.

It will probably lead to residents coming down to capitalize on the opportunity for free, so the "no selling" policy will need to be policed diligently. I think each of the pavillion entrances (facing the center) needs a "Welcome Area Guidelines" dispenser for easy use. There is currently no rules available.

*edit, Toy just posted the guidelines I was referring too.