Open apology to Merwan Marker and the Second Life community

Yes, I'm still waiting for the monthly drahma (see previous thread) on what information that Apoth has that he could possibly blackmail Merwan with.

Then again, there's a reason for a 60/40 partnership contract.

I would have to see the termination clause, the dissolution clause, and/or the voting rights clause.

60% of a partnership is a lot to give someone to have power over you, your business and your business reputation.

When a bell rings, the sound travels from a single source outward. A bell can not be un-rung, this song can not be unsung.

Many people have asked me to speak about SL Exchange so they could decide how to proceed. Others have asked what to do regarding their products and L$ held at the site; some have asked what will happen in the future. I have even been encouraged to join in other ventures and to become active in boycotts of one sort or another.

I am NOT attempting to persuade public opinion - my goal has been just the opposite! I have worked to keep this private and to get back to business as usual, and that has not happened.

I've talked privately with SL residents who are uniquely involved with our community and who would be honest with me. I have also consulted with others I know personally and professionally.

SL Exchange has been involved with a number of RL and SL businesses. We have had discussions concerning services, features, and expansion into additional SL and RL markets. Other businesses are aware of our efforts from different perspectives - venture capital investors, Linden Lab folks, and other inWorld business people. I have used due diligence at all times, and have honored the terms and conditions of my SL Exchange business contract, the LL TOS and Community Standards. I continue to do so.

There is a written partnership contract detailing the SL Exchange business. I have a 40% owner share in SL Exchange - my business partner knows this, and has acknowledged our partnership contact as recently as today.

Simply put - I have been party to an attempted hostile take over of my ownership share of SL Exchange. This began early morning of 1/12/2005 when I was locked out of SLExchange.com and denied access to our business accounts.

At no time prior to 1/12/2005 was I informed by my partner that he had serious concerns about our business transactions. Six days later, just after midnight on 1/18/2005, he began this thread. During the previous 6 days, (12th-18th) he refused all attempts to discuss his grievances - including an inWorld meeting with a Linden Lab representative and myself.

On the afternoon of 1/18/2004, I received a message from him acknowledging our business contract, and an offer to purchase my 40% portion of SL Exchange. The offer stated that my failure to sell to him would result in SL Exchange ceasing operations. Some inWorld discussions have occurred, but we have failed to agree on how to value the business. I've been presented a final buyout offer and I am again told my failure to sell to him will result in the liquidation of the business. I have rejected his offers.

Lastly, the reference to blackmail in message #1 was not made by me. It referred to the first message to me on 1/12/2005 explaining why I was locked out of the website. In that message a L$-amount was offered to be paid to me immediately on 1/12/05 in return for my silence concerning the termination of my involvement with SL Exchange. If I choose not to agree to his cash offer, he stated I would receive nothing but I would be free to talk. I was also informed, there would be no negotiations, no telephone calls, no instant messages regarding this situation.

I thank everyone for their patience and restraint and the many messages of support and encouragement during this difficult time. Your positive words do matter, and their impact on me has been helpful.



_/_/_/

Apoth. you know what we do in rl when this happens and someone wont sell and you own a majority? Run it into the ground. I think the people here will understand if you decide to raise the fee's to 90% and so on and then open up a new company. The reason i say this is because this post shows the lack of care for the clients even though you have constantly said it will mean the demise of slexchange (even though according to merwan was started to help sl residents) he will still not sell. Also why would someone slander a bussiness they wanted to keep stake in unless out of spite and wanting to ruin it for the other party? remember you dont bite the very hand that feeds you. Anyway of course my post is going to be seen as hostile because of my repore (sp?) with merwan but just think about this.

Billy you're brilliant

Yep we'll all understand just like you did when we opened our fees at 10%


RofLoL

On my way to the SLExchange website to remove my items and get all my money out of there!

Yes i would understand if it was raised to 90% to run it into the ground. He has the majority not much you can do about the increase in fee's =) also i will give slexchange.net to apoth if need be.

Ulrika dries her tears and leaps from her chair! The boycott is on!

~Ulrika~

What happened to the Cubey post?

lmao

I will honor what I said, if he requests it of me. The only injustice worse than Merwan getting ripped off would be Cubey leaving.

~Ulrika~

Jesus Billy,
When are you going to grow up? Seriously? Do you think you are an aimportant person in SL that anyone in thier right mind would take your advice or believe anything you say? Better be careful, before you know it, mommy and daddy are going to have to be taking you to court for charges of slander.

My STFU post still stands. You're a hostile and self-serving woman, Ulrika. Damn. I'm going to turn off my computer now before I get too pissed off.

I am not sure whats going on. I considered using Sl exchange due to Merwan but I was reluctant. So I will wait until this dust settles and see if the end of this sad tale has an end I can respect. Of all the parties I think Merwan has been the class act. Just because people were good or friendly inworld. Means little when rl gets involved especially money. The green has driven many to do very nasty things. When its all said and done I will make my choice. Which is a shame having a searchable database of Sl items would be wonderful.

Again, this business could easily be worth $120,000 in 6 months time.

Why do I say this?

The business has increased ten fold in revenues in one month.

Even if that growth rate slowed dramatically, the business could easily be earning $4,000 / month on many different lines of revenues, including the listing service, acting as a center for SL services, and they could easily move into currency exchange because they have all the eyeballs.

Now a $4,000 / month is worth about $48,000-$96,000 as a small business.

However, LindenLabs would no doubt be interested at aquiring them at a premium to what an average person would pay.

Why?

Simple - they've already done all the heavy lifting by getting people to upload pictures and descriptions, they save on having to engineer the system themselves, they don't have to take the time to engineer it themselves, and they don't have to worry about the risk.

Getting a new engineer up to speed to do what they have done would be a lot of work. Getting a current senior engineer to develop the system would mean taking them away from something more important.

Finally, LindenLabs is *NOT* interested in pissing off people who've gone to a lot of work on their behalf. If they wanted to move into this business, they'd try to make everyone happy, as they don't want to scare future people from trying to develop for their business.



Unless Apoth is offering Merwan $60,000 USD for his share, Merwan would be crazy to even consider it.

Jesus Christ.

Merwan just posted direct evidence that Apotheus is trying to cut him out of his 40% share by stonewalling and blackmailing him. In addition to missing that, you ignore Aaron's post that he's withdrawing from SLExchange (boycott) and you ignore my post that I would honor the promises I made you.

Instead of directing ignorant rage at me, why don't you try and help out Merwan?

~Ulrika~

I have no reason whatsoever NOT to believe what Merwan said in this post. It is because of that fact that I will not be part of a project that gives profit to Apotheus any longer. Apotheus started this thread as a P.R. stunt to salvage his image because he KNEW it would go public.

And I don't care WHAT Apotheus says the "definition" of blackmail is, HE IS BLACKMAILING MERWAN with his REPUTATION. Apotheus is taking this entire matter and putting it on Merwan's shoulder's, FORCING (blackmailing) him into taking what is obviously a lesser amount than Merwan's share is worth.

Merwan has EVERY RIGHT to not cave into threats and the shady practices of Apotheus. If SLExchange ceases operation, it will be because of the majority shareholder ceasing its operation.

People -- go get your money our of SLExchange NOW. We have witnessed the kind of business practices Apotheus uses, I will not allow him to do it with my money, no matter how large or small of a SLExchange customer or merchant I am. And this is saying a lot for me, because sales of my products on SLExchange beat my sales in-world almost 5 to 1. Hell, most of the time I don't have money in the game unless I've got SLExchange sales coming in.

It's a cool service. But cool services run by crooked people... I will not support.

I mean, hell, if Apotheus had just voiced his concerns, plans, ideas with Merwan, this whole ugly situation probably would have turned out a lot differently.

Now to go update my SecondServer account...

That's wonderful Aaron!

Post it again in the new boycott thread.

~Ulrika~

I've also withdrawn my business from SLExchange.

(Although Ulrika heading the effort to make it all about her was almost enough to make me reconsider.)

I'm still working on this - however, it will not include web-based sales because I don't trust my own scripting skills with money, nor do I want the liability issues that go with that. I'm doing it purely to further my own scripting skills and because I have the web space available and it's fun.

Well, once my laptop comes back from the repair shop and I have a keyboard I'm familiar with again...

...trouble with doing projects on your own, and for no profit, is there's no motivation to hit deadlines!

I firmly stand behind Merwan and have withdrawn my items and funds from SLExchange...
I stand by my original statement- No rhetoric, no speeches...

Simply,

SHAME ON YOU Apotheus

Post it again in the new boycott thread!

~Ulrika~

I am discovering this thread and i just cant believe it.

Still, didnt Merwan post an offer to solve the problem to the best Apotheus ?
Didnt you see it ?
When will you answer ?

If Cubey goes and Merwan s out, what s next ?

Too bad, slexchange had potential, and Merwan was the FlagHolder, he was carrying it with his bare arms inworld and i even simply thought it was Merwan s, where were you all this time, and more, where do you hide now he s made a GENTLEMAN proposition ?

Yeah and he did it so well I thought he was the sole owner. He is the reason I used the service because I know he's trustworthy. I don't think I'll be using it anymore either. Why can't I withdraw my funds?

Post it again in the new boycott thread!

Apparently Apo is hiding behind his greed.