Relative Anarchy - Pros and Cons

Yeah and I wanna fly in RL

Frank Lardner set up the Law Society as non-partisan and non-commercial, so we've stayed away from purely commercial examples such as Anshe's Dreamland, even though she has covenants and a system to deal with dispute resolution. The thinking is that if she wants publicity for her venture she can pay for ads in the classifieds, or perhaps post in the forums with an advertising message in her sig as many people do.

Neither Anshe nor any other operator in that business has ever asked the Law Society to do a study on them, of course.

I find that non-partisan kicks in when the group under discussion has some kind of internal drama, or is involved in conflict with some other group. Frank's sticky in the group forum makes the academic focus of the Law Society reasonably clear, so it's the best guideline to follow when deciding what belongs and what does not belong in a case study.

Crissaegrim wrote:



and



Agreed that there are certain significant aspects that LL has created: the cost of land, the medium of exchange, the stipends. However, outside those where residents create objects or provide services, they are free to engage in any form of exchange and set whatever value they agree on. In fact, this represents one of the real differences between SL and the real world economy: the land tier, unlike rents, are fixed and not subject to supply and demand. LL can both create new land if the demand warrants, and leave existing land unused without suffering from the costs that would be encountered in RL by a landlord.

Within the more limited aspect totally created by residents, why has there been no great movement towards any of the alternative structures you mention? Perhaps it is because many of the processes you describe - gifts, intellectual exchanges, etc. - are really more about social status than economic need. In RL they exist as a complement to some fundamental economic structure that actually produces the goods and services needed to exist.

Similarly, for the tribal types of value systems, where value is assigned by elders or custom or religious practice or some combination of the three, there is just not the social cohesiveness and constriction required to put people in the position where they have to accept these decisions. SL is still a pastime, not where you have to spend every waking hour (with a few exceptions). As such, your status in the world is not vitally important to your successful functioning in society, so status or tradition based systems cannot be as compelling.

The interesting economic lessons are around the extent to which certain things we take for granted in RL - laws, courts, enforcement of rules, etc. - are in fact quite critical to growing innovation and economic activity. This was one of the reasons for creating the Law Society.

And as for profit, if it motivates some people, that's good. If it doesn't motivate you - that's fine too. I don't have a problem with people who are motivated by profit, as their behavior is often quite predictable.

Everyone wants to decay into anarchy. Here is another idea. It is called DEMOCRACY.

We need a central governent for so many things. To protect us from currency speculators. To keep our personal info from being sold to Yahoo! . To protect us from prim-bombs. To update the hardware.

Government is natural. What do you think Anshe is doing? She is buying up a bunch of land and imposing order and improving the quality of life. I think people will see that this anarcho-dicatorship that LL has going will prove isn't democratic enough for those who want to participate, and isn't powerful enough to impose order.

Just think of what we could do if WE were in control of linden labs. We could legislate advertising. We could institute an urban planning regiem to better integrate the sims (maybe even build an interconnected roadway).

In short, we need a government because we need laws, public services, and someone to make these things happen. And we need to set up a democratic government to take back power from Linden Labs, make government more responsive, and give residents something to do. LL should be public servants, not benevolant dictators.

(btw, if you want to read about the distopian world of anarcho-capitalism, just read Snowcrash.)

I'm honoured - though it would be a really short study.

We are pretty relaxed about theme stuff - and when something is (usually accidentally) outside of theme it's a pretty friendly IM and all is resolved.

People don't come to our current Steward or me the sims owner regarding interpersonal or business disputes. Their drama not our business, y'know?


Griefers? The Steward or myself, or a couple folks I trust with Estate access just ban 'em. Personal judgement used - not hard to make a call when someone is shooting everyone in sight with a cage gun, trolling for sex or being abusive.

They can plead their case back at the mainland. When or if I have time - few ever do.



Edit: I'm pretty well convinced that democracy doesn't work very well in Second Life. Save for 'vote with your feet' and move. It's rather like insisting that a fast food store be a democracy. Don't like it? Eat somewhere else. But don't be deluded that 'voting' at that particular hamburger stand is going to make the food or service any better.