My Proposal...

You are correct. Put the ratings at a reasonable cost say $2L to $5L. The Savings created alone would be staggering with Linden Labs and surely would help fund Events, but also giving a gradual bonus to players for longevity taking into consideration also of taking out Basic Accounts and make Premium Accounts manditory after a one month Free Trial then both would begin. This would also provide incentive to retain accounts and account holders to refer new account holders to the game rather than stifling Social Events as Social Events promote enjoyment at least to alot of new account holders rather than herding them through a work line to start, and once settled in; they will learn the basics of creation because they will have probably met a Partner and want to build a house and then even a business with their Partner, also making bonuses based on Class Certificates of Education and learning the Tools in Secondlife with records of attendance. This way everyone wins, the Lindens win because they give incentive for learning and giving back to the Community and Economy through Productivity, the Community Wins by retaining account holders with Social Activities as well.

what do *ratings* mean to you Blake?

Though Ratings are not tied to bonuses, with a reasonable affordability people will be more willing to rate friends, take out negative ratings and have the funds go into funding various Events.

Savings do not need to be staggering. That would cause too much of a slowdown in the economy.



I'm sorry, am I missing something here? Does anyone here ACTUALLY want substandard events to remain on the event listings just because they get free money for being there? Competition is what makes people innovate. Innovation is what makes events great. Great events are what generate Traffic, and Traffic is precisely what event holders will be competing over.



Bonuses for longevity has got to be the most laughably unsound economic idea I've ever heard of. If LL truly expects this place to remain in existence for a decade or more (and they have indicated that that is their intention), then a simple bonus for longevity ends up becoming the largest source of inflation in five years.



Ok. MAYBE the day will come when LL decides to block basic accounts. Maybe. I'm not sure they could truly ever do this, as they've advertised SL as being $9.95 once for life. If they manage to do this, however, I'd probably have to reconsider whether or not I should be sticking around. Besides, SL has to become MUCH more popular than it is now for it to stand on it's own two feet with premium account only requirements.



I fail to see how longevity == better events.



Uh... that's got to be the most preposterous thing I've ever heard. First of all, the entire universe's population of humanity does not fit into your cookie cutter scheme. Second, no one should be required to take training courses or lessons or get certificates in order to be a respectable creator in SL. That's stupid!

From what I am reading you do not want Events, you approve of only Schooling but no incentive for it. As far as longevity there was no pay out number based on any stats to where you can say it is not feasible based on budget. The budget has to be evaluated first before deciding what incentives to give. As far as substandard Events, that's your opinion. As far as competition, if you want more of it; then promote it with incentive.

You offer no solution only critisism of nothing to go by.

I do not want substandard events. Events are fine. Great events are even better. Stupid events where everyone stands around, puts on their anti-afk scripts, and dances while the money-ball spits out money every so often need to die horribly.



Well, pretty obvious you can't read. I never said cut funding to schooling. I am, in fact, in favor of the changes LL has made.



I'm sorry, budget? How is a budget going to help solve the problem of longevity people being here LONGER? Uh... Ok, think of it this way... if SL is WILDLY successful, and is around 50 years from now, 50 year old accounts will be madly insanely rich under a longevity scheme. They will, in essence, have millions upon millions of L$. Shrink that down a bit to just five or ten years now. They'll have much more money than the newbies. And BECAUSE they have much more money, as do all the other oldbies, prices will be staggeringly high because the larger number of SL users can afford the higher prices. Which means a newbie simply won't be able to buy anything when first starting out. Which means they'll leave.

It's called inflation.



My solution? Sit down, shut up, and let LL do what they're doing. They're doing fine. They might tweak it a bit in the next month or two, but they're handling things just fine.

Blake, ANY rewards tied to ratings means that the ratings will not be true to what they are meant to be.

Ratings are supposed to be a public notifier of how people should perceive others based on the various categories. Philip even touched on this in the Town Hall meeting last night.

If *anything* is tied to the ratings, other than the actual "person on person belief of worth" .. then the ratings mean nothing.

That said. If you feel there should be a way for Lindens to give SL residents free money, you should find another thing to tie it into. Of course, you still have to fight the battle of why anyone should get *free* money, but at least you take the game out of the rating system. And leave the ratings *somewhat* how they were originally intended.

The ratings money is currently going to Lindens anyway. So in retrospect; either way they are probably using it. If it's going to cost $25L and they get less of it in the long run by doing so; why not lower it and get more money in the long run to fund the game and promote the Economy?

No Blake, you are wrong. The ratings money goes into oblivion. It is a way to take money OUT of the system. Otherwise known as a "sink" in economy discussions for "online environments".

So, no. There is not *anyone* getting this $25, therefore no way to pump it back into the system.

Pendari, you are correct. But, Blake...

Since money is taken out of the system, the remaining L$ that we all collectively have, increases in value as that money it taken out of the system. That is a good thing. It makes our L$ have more purchasing power. It increases the value of the Linden.

Thank you Hank! That is a good thing to add!

Bottom line people..come up with a solution or lose accounts.

Never trust anyone who addresses the collective with rhetorical clichés such as "people".

~Ulrika~

I'm sure this will sound elitist and 'oldbie' (though I'm not one) to some, but I really don't care..

If people are only here to get paid to attend stupid ass events filled with stupid ass unimaginative contests that game the system for welfare, I don't really give a shit if they leave. If they don't feel the desire to contribute anything to the betterment of the game, and can only piss and moan because they were yanked off the Linden tit, then good riddence.

If all the predictions of people flooding off to some other (non-existant) game that gives them money and sex to their hearts content without having to lift a finger in return, then SL will be better for it. It will be better because the people left here will create for the sake of creating, and for the sake of the environment, and for the sake of SL, instead of their own pathetic greed and Welfare Mom attitudes. Fuck 'em. I'll pack for them if they want to leave. They can take their prize-winning g-strings and their hoochie hair and get the fuck out.

*swoon*

Jon.. can I stalk you?

Again here is where my Proposal was Posted Kris.

Again, Blake.. so what? You never listen to any counter proposals or arguments anyway.

Any particular account we're going to lose? Not yours I hope, you're way to entertaining.

Ok... this is beyond a joke now... I was never this bad was I... PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE tell me no!

Er, truth?

Um.... by that reaction no

*runs off crying*

Also, even taking out the part of a longevity bonus would be a good start if that is an issue.

lol Willow... *hugs*

This post bears repeating. Read it. Make it your mantra.



Blake, have you ever taken an economics class of any kind?

Did you pass?

Blake, have you ever taken an economics class of any kind?

Did you pass?