Idol Linden or Beggar Linden?

Say you're in SL going about your normal bussiness and a Linden IM's you saying they'd seen a certain product of yours and would like you to give them some for a personal project of theirs. This product is for sale in a vendor where they saw the product, as well as other locations marked in your profile.

How would you react or respond and why?

I would be flattered.


I know someone who was compensated nicely by the Lindens for use of an object of thiers that was used at the winter festival a few months ago.

If it was one of the more skilled scripting lindens i would say, you have the technology... u can steal ..... make it better stronger and cooler (cause ur using it). But if it was a script impaired linden i would gladly give it to them to keep them from casting bolts of lighting down upon my fragile resident head *ducks under desk* and i seem to recall sumthin about making sacrifices to dwellanor anyways . But really its their world and i dont think anyone has to worry about a linden reselling or giving away freely anything a resident gives them without explicit permission.

*edit* the reason i say the skilled scripting ones could "steal" it is b/c i do still believe the lindens have llGodLikeRezObject() they were just worried someone might hack it .

cue Prok and Blaze...

1) I wouldn't post about it in forums beause that is tacky and show a lack of common courtesy and etiquette.

2) I would give them the script/product.

ditto

they can just as easily take and use it without permission. everything we produce in second life belongs to linden lab.

how's that for a cue?

Compensation isn't really the point. I was just curious what thoughts others of you would have being asked for free items by someone representing Linden Labs. My instinct was to first be flattered they liked my items, but then I felt like asking if they'd like to trade a free land tier or month of SL for it. Not that it'd be an even trade, but just to make a point. If I were to ask LL for anything free, they'd laugh at me all the way to the bank. I just found it odd in a way.

Eboni, there's nothing wrong with asking others what they would think about something I find a bit boggling. If I were you, what I'd do is go stroke my self rigtheous ego elsewhere.

it's not self righteousness; it's that the lindens are steadily being bashed for being human people (assuming they're all human) that appreciate the abilities of given personalities, designers, debuggers, scripters et cetera. any time we let people know that a linden is involved in something, or favouring someone in any way, all hell breaks loose as people scream of nepotism and corruption of the true and stable fairness that is our utopian world of second life!

so we generally deal with lindens on the side and just don't say anything about it. it's what they expect because it's what they need from us.

First of all, please don't start any personal attacks in this thread. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so please simply agree to disagree.

OK, as a Linden myself, I have had residents give me products for free to test out or experiment with. I have also purchased things myself from residents.

Linden accounts are not allowed to run businesses or participate in contests where we could receive goods or money as prizes. We all have a little "spending money" provided to us, but that's the only source of income on our Linden accounts. Which means we might not always have enough $L to spend on items we might want to purchase.

Yes, we have "god powers," but we don't use them to "take" whatever we want from residents in SL.

So, I guess I'm trying to say...if a Linden asks for something for free, it means we are genuinely interested in the item and most likely simply don't have the $L to buy it from you.

Not true. It belongs to the creator.

http://lindenlab.com/press_story_12.php

What Pathfinder said.

Also keep in mind that the Lindens work here, and don't necessarily have the same motives as regular players. Example, If Ryan or Bub are taking photos for promotional materials, they may notice that you have a really cool car on sale and want to use it in their photos. It quickly enters their mind "lets grab a copy" followed by "...oh actually let's ask the creator first". It's a whole different mindset than wanting to have your product in their inventory as a personal posession.

That said, I have found the Lindens really appreciate any help users can offer them, and if they have the funds on hand, they will do the best they can to compensate you for any of your contributions or efforts.

I think reactions will vary based on how you see SL and Linden Labs. Linden Labs is a company which owns a product we use. We're their paying customers. If my landlord or an employee at my local grocery store asked me for 5 bucks I'd find it odd too. These people are not volunteers. They're paid employees. In my opinion, asking your customers for handouts is tacky. And is giving items to Lindens (items which everyone else has to pay for) not just brown nosing? In an environment where others are so quick to cry out "favoritism," doesn't it seem like those with the Linden name would want to conduct transactions in the normal way rather than under the table? Is special treatment really expected and deserved when we're already paying for the product and services we use?

Well this is just one side of what I was thinking. At the same time I asked myself how do Lindens get game money, are they short on it really? And I was also flattered that something of mine was wanted. This Linden had to abandon the conversation to take care of something. I boxed up a load of this product and sent it to him/her, but I think they have some option set to autodecline anything given to them, as it was declined in a split second. I am actually straddling the fence on this one, and it's not really a huge deal. I just felt a bit boggled about this.... the principle of it, not the little bit of money.

If you want to make real world comparisons then you'd have to equate the Lindens to Gods. So to give them copies of your work is simply making offering to the Gods.

As Pathfinder said already, the Lindens do not run in-world businesses or randomly give away anything you may have given them. If they specifically ask for something it will be because they genuinely need/want it.

I have had a Linden buy a thing or two from my vendors and I am very flattered. BTW, if any Linden were to ask for anything, I would gladly give it to them (except my current, exclusive skin of course). It's just good business and the exposure can't hurt.

Was it a sex object or a 100 meter high penis? That would really make me wonder what goes on at that place.

I'm not so sure about that one. We have more god-like creation powers in SL than we do in RL, that isn't neccessarily anything that we have over the Lindens.

If anything, it's like giving something to the cops. Sometimes, a restaurant will offer a meal to a cop 'on the house'; That isn't to brown-nose so that later they may be able to commit a crime and get away with it; often it's just a token of appreciation.

Lindens don't tromp around SL looking for power to wield and things to steal. Their job security depends on the success of this venture.

Putting that into perspective, makes the whole FIC thing, and 'lindens out to get you' ideas pretty ridiculous. But, nonetheless, I don't think that sort of paranoia is going away any time soon.

Honestly, it depends on the perspective, but I think the "gods" thing is relevant, whereas residents express themselves as something analogous to "demigods." Either way, this thread gave me decent reason to change my Av Title.

And the FIC thing, well... didn't most of us stop being serious about that in 1.4?

although we are paying customers, I view SL as too new and early-stage an experiment to be anything other than collaborative between LL and the members. They set the rules and must have a vision for how things will play out, but there is clearly an awareness that this vision must evolve as consequences of design decisions unfold. As the saying goes, no battle plan survives the enemy... no business plan survives the market... no next-generation metaverse survives the customers.

So in a sense I really do believe we are building this world together and learning from each other, although at root LL is our benevolent dictator (certainly not gods, lol)

If a linden asked me for a copy of something, I would gladly hand it over (with strict permissions set ) because I am supportive of this dream-that-is-second-life. I certainly would not consider it brown-nosing. Since I don't crave their attention, nor believe it is necessary either for my enjoyment of SL or the successful attainment of my goals, why would it be?


(speaking of brown-nosing , p.s. Pathfinder, I think you're doing a great job)

We definitely don't think of ourselves as a "Gods" in SL, and I think I speak for all the other Lindens in this regard. That term is really inaccurate and, personally, makes me feel uncomfortable.

We're the "custodians." We have practical powers that let us fix the plumbing of SL, oil scripts that are squeaky, create new land, and occasionally clean up messes.

The true engines of creation in SL are the residents.

<wipes hands on my dirty custodian overalls, grabs my monkeywrench, and climbs back down into the boiler room>

Funny how you should put it this way; it reminds me of a train of thought I've had for some time.

However, I don't think the title "gods" is in any way meant to evoke how the Lindens "look down on the little people and feel superior." Rather, it's a matter of the control you, as Lindens, can potentially wield - and to a lesser extent, how people might feel "looking up." Jokes aside, the FIC thing is a decent measure in the latter, and one I typically find funny.

Personally, I like the fact that the Lindens will, at many times, mingle with residents on a person-to-person level. It displays a sense of equality and corporate culture that's not often seen in the MMO business.

Give it to them for free... it's good kharma.

Yes, there is nothing wrong asking others opinions. Although it would be more polite and appropriate to speak with friends about it privately than to post it in a public forum where it will more than likely turn into a fight. Discretion is under rated.

If I were you, I would go stroke your self-aggrandizing ego elsewhere. I certainly hope whatever Linden asked for your assistance reconsiders it, since compensation seems to be your motivation.

I would give them a 10% discount.
(Except for Pathfinder, he gets no discount)