Inventory Limit for free accounts

/me has a fit

I'm glad it's up to LL to decide how they run their business, rather than all the folks who want us treated as second class residents, at best a drain on resources and at worst griefers and bots.

I think one of the best ideas I have ever thought of for this (with no idea how to or even if it could be implemented) would be to have the inventory system bolstered by an "archive" system of some sort- another set of servers away from the normal resident databases that would allow you extra storage if you absolutly need it, while in your regular inventory you have a cap (maybe about 5000 items or so, that is my own self imposed cap, and still have tons of stuff I could prolly just ditch and never regret it)

These are also free, but do require RL ID validation in form of a matching PayPal Account / Credit/Debit Card being on file with validation similar performed by PayPal or Ebay. Not use, just checked.

Reason? Content Theft is a major issue in SL, just search on Google, read the blogs, or speak to any experienced creator in world. By having a creator account you get ability to transfer objects to another avatar (that includes setting them to sale for zero or above) / upload images/sounds to Second Life and more importantly exit cash from Second Life.

Current Free Accounts are the same, but do not have the transfer object facility or upload facility or exit cash from platform ability.

I think there is a real battle going on between 'free', and 'premium' accounts, and I have experienced a snobbish culture amongst SL'ers, which reminds me of all the things that made me feel the need to 'escape' from RL, and log in to SL.

First of all, I will apologize if this has been mentioned before, but I personally think 'premium' accounts should be scrapped. And either all accounts become paid for once again, or in its place have an inventory storage charge much like paying our tiers for size of land. Although I think if accounts become paid for once again, people will still have access to unlimited inventory sizes, and thus the problems will again surface, even with less users online, the paying users there, will have an ever expanding inventory, I guarantee that.

Example,

No Charge - upto 10,000 inventory items.

or

US$2/month - an extra 5000 inventory items. (making it 15,000 in total)

or

US$4/month - an extra 10,000 inventory items. (making it 20,000 in total)

and so on..

If fees are not paid inventory items saved after the date 10,000 items was passed, are still accessible but may be deleted from the system after a period of 3 months(no items can be added either), that is unless the user removes the oldest items from their inventory to bring it down to the free maximum, or below...then the newest items will be safe from deletion. Or to save all the confusion that would cause, have the extra (paid for) storage capacity in separate folders within the inventory, items in these folders are due for deletion if fees are not paid.

Maybe have an 'unlimited' inventory use charge for an amount that would cover such a use, and maybe registered creators are able to receive a reduced 'unlimited use' fee?.

This is very rough and actual charges would need a lot more thought, but you see the logic?.



This is just a suggestion, please be kind, .

Problem with an inventory size based charge is people would just start hiding stuff inside prims instead. Which maybe that might be better for TP, maybe it wouldn't, in anyway seeing anyone can creat unlimited free alts, they would just have alts standing round the bedroom like maids & butlers holding all their stuff for them.

Your right . I was trying to think of a fair solution to the problem. But I still think if things become paid to use once again, these same issues will occur, the database is storing more information than ever, and that will continue to increase, even though memberships are paid for, this will either lead to a needed increase in membership fees to cover costs somewhere.

OK, so paying for extra inventory space will lead to more free accounts being made, why not limit IP address's to 1 (or 2?) connections at any one time?.....or better solution because I'm sure people will log in and out to transfer items stored on alt's, make the first account per IP address free to use, with the inventory limit solution in place.....as all solutions seem to be pointing to paying for accounts once again to simply use anyway, why not make the first per IP free, if people want another free account they have to cancel the first, then they are free to create another free account?. Additional accounts to the first must then be paid for, again as all solutions are pointing towards paying to use 'an' account, why not do this.

Although some IP's do change, so the only other alternative is to register credit card details, as yet again everything points to paying for the membership, those details will have to be provided anyway, that way we have,

1) Age verification

2) Payment information, can buy lindens (pay to increase inventory size, this is must, for fair use)

3) The system can check that we use only one account per person at any one time, different users with the same IP can log in and enjoy free accounts each, each MUST provide credit card information (and can pay for additional accounts to the first free one)

4) The system will remain free to use, and most people will be happy.

ok you pay for me and I will go along with this, otherwise nada gona happen.

Your right . I was trying to think of a fair solution to the problem. But I still think if things become paid to use once again, these same issues will occur, the database is storing more information than ever, and that will continue to increase, even though memberships are paid for, this will either lead to a needed increase in membership fees to cover costs somewhere.

OK, so paying for extra inventory space will lead to more free accounts being made, why not limit IP address's to 1 (or 2?) connections at any one time?.....or better solution because I'm sure people will log in and out to transfer items stored on alt's, make the first account per IP address free to use, with the inventory limit solution in place.....as all solutions seem to be pointing to paying for accounts once again to simply use anyway, why not make the first per IP free, if people want another free account they have to cancel the first, then they are free to create another free account?. Additional accounts to the first must then be paid for, again as all solutions are pointing towards paying to use 'an' account, why not do this.

Although some IP's do change, so the only other alternative is to register credit card details, as yet again everything points to paying for the membership, those details will have to be provided anyway, that way we have,

1) Age verification

2) Payment information, can buy lindens (pay to increase inventory size, this is must, for fair use)

3) The system can check that we use only one account per person at any one time, different users with the same IP can log in and enjoy free accounts each, each MUST provide credit card information (and can pay for additional accounts to the first free one)

4) The system will remain free to use, and most people will be happy.

Better idea, you pay for it if you want it, else there are still a few C64 quality worlds you can play for free I think

Im sure this may have been raised before, Im not sure where as there are a multitude of locations I can post a request for changes to SL .
But as the topic mentions I have been wondering how to either get more folks in to SL while moving the usage stats to something useful.

Bots do have some uses as has been discussed many a time, so banning free accounts is not the right way to go. Mainly as it will kill off the new resedient that wants to try before they buy in, I was one of those and had to research deep before I even purchased my first L$.

But if there was some way to put a KB limit on new accounts( read "free" accounts) without having to kill them off totally I think there would be more positives in that. Perhaps improving the current newbiee library with some better skins and tools. Therefore negating the requirement for them to have a vast inventory.

It would make life easier for mentors , knowing that each new AV already had the tools and notecards required to start them off enjoying SL. We would only have to advise them how to find the tools that they have and explain how to utilize them. This would also remove the occurance of sending a newbie to a " mates" shop to get kitted out ( yes it happens).

It would save on server space ( not that bots use much at the moment) and it would provide another positive to become a premium member. " Extra inventory content can be had and land for the price of a premium membership.
Would it affect the metrics... yes initally , would it affect the bottom line... I think you would see an increase in members becoming premium.

Another advantage to this change would be a form of averting the versions of copybot rampant on the grid. As a free or new avatar could only use the available items in their inventoryand not accept or upload any more we would start to see the real purps of IP thieft appear not some borrowed bot/new name that is dumped later.

Griefers would not be able to transfer tools to new generated bots to go about their task ( without a cost) LOL sort of a griefing Tax. And if they wanted those tools well they would have to become a priemum member which then leads on to a ID and payment line for those fun folk.

To wind this off as the thought train has collided with some very nice scotch.

I think this idea many have holes and perhaps huge ones . But after a year and a bit of SL and I have had a bash at almost everything ( except gor ?). Perhaps I should have dot pointed this. I look forward to the communitys thoughts.

Gumby- A paying customer in more ways than you realise.

PS: Yes there are typos in there just don't trip on them.

I think there is a real battle going on between 'free', and 'premium' accounts, and I have experienced a snobbish culture amongst SL'ers, which reminds me of all the things that made me feel the need to 'escape' from RL, and log in to SL.

First of all, I will apologize if this has been mentioned before, but I personally think 'premium' accounts should be scrapped. And either all accounts become paid for once again, or in its place have an inventory storage charge much like paying our tiers for size of land. Although I think if accounts become paid for once again, people will still have access to unlimited inventory sizes, and thus the problems will again surface, even with less users online, the paying users there, will have an ever expanding inventory, I guarantee that.

Example,

No Charge - upto 10,000 inventory items.

or

US$2/month - an extra 5000 inventory items. (making it 15,000 in total)

or

US$4/month - an extra 10,000 inventory items. (making it 20,000 in total)

and so on..

If fees are not paid inventory items saved after the date 10,000 items was passed, are still accessible but may be deleted from the system after a period of 3 months(no items can be added either), that is unless the user removes the oldest items from their inventory to bring it down to the free maximum, or below...then the newest items will be safe from deletion. Or to save all the confusion that would cause, have the extra (paid for) storage capacity in separate folders within the inventory, items in these folders are due for deletion if fees are not paid.

Maybe have an 'unlimited' inventory use charge for an amount that would cover such a use, and maybe registered creators are able to receive a reduced 'unlimited use' fee?.

This is very rough and actual charges would need a lot more thought, but you see the logic?.



This is just a suggestion, please be kind, .

damb ass

f&%k no

I can see how a small "tax" on inventory might motivate some to pare down their inventories. But I wonder if it would actually help solve lag or stability problems? Drawing distinctions based on Premium vs. Basic would not get to the root of the problem either.

None of us have access to any of the data that might drive this decision so it's all just pure speculation anyway -- something these forums are very good at. Until you know how many are actually affected by the "solution" you are pushing and what the intended and unintended consequences are, you're just drinking Koolaid.

I'm not sure how you could tax anomous accounts. They have no RL links, so you'd have to take it from their Linden balance in which they would just let it run to -ve $10k