Should Free Accounts Go

* ONE U.S. DOLLAR A MONTH *

Is that a low enough price? It's there for you if you want it.

Sign up for a year and sell your stipend off on the lindex.
You'll pay $72 once, and collect (after fees) around $60.
The difference is $12, spread out over 12 months.

Stipends were lowered because people were farming them.

I agree with whoever said it earlier:

Get rid of the window shoppers, and you'll have fewer consumers.

I would have to sell off land and scale back if it weren't for the purchases made by new residents visiting my areas. They may be paying me... but everything I make goes to LL in tier fees sooner or later.

Don't tell me that free accounts don't contribute enough to secondlife, they're keeping the content providers in business, and the content providers pay LL. I dunno, call it trickle up economics.

do you have anything to back that up?

im a free and i buy linden if i dont feel like working at my sl job enough to pay for my rent many "free" account holders i know probably buy more $L then the premium members i know

anyone that tells me i dont contribute as much as a premium account doesnt know me very well

Finally, the voice of reason, from one of the real contributors - and not just in terms of cash - to SL.

In RL, there is a bar that I go to a lot for dancing and to hang out with some friends. Last year the owners brought in a new manager. My friends and I felt that a lot of stupid managment decisions were made. If it wasn't for the dancing we might have stopped going entirely (we could always meet each other somewhere else). Instead, we stopped going during times when they charged an entrance fee, we didn't go as often and didn't stay as long when we were there. Additionally, some stopped buying food there and started buying cheaper or fewer drinks. Basically, we spoke to the business in the best language they know -- our money. In a few months, they had a new manager and the place became pleasant to go to again.

I don't log in to SL as often as I used to, nor stay on as long - it is too frustrating when things don't work right. I'm considering not giving them their Premium fee. I do still spend money in world because I enjoy supporting the creators of products that I like. LL does not really listen to their customers on any type of forum. The only language that I know of that even has a remote chance of them hearing and understanding is 'money'. Granted, I'm less than a blip on their money radar, but it is really the only statement that I can make.

Well what I think is more the problem is the payment not verifieds, those that don't contribute finacially, don't rent land, don't create content or provide services and run 20 campbot alts to take money out every month.

Do you really think that the 90k premium members (and dropping) are the ones holding up this economy? You have got to be kidding. If SL had 200k members, sure. 500k, even, maybe.

In June 2006, there were 19,685 premium accounts and 235,007 unique residents. Versus 94,607 in June 2007 and 5,224,582 unique residents (which dropped to 88,797 in July - and now 90,600 at the end of August).

It has always been the basic accounts holding up the economy. Once you "mature" as a player, you spend less - it's the new players that come and go that keep this economy churning.

"do you have anything to back that up?" Do you? um..........................
Well your assuming that free accounts buy money, then again there is alot of free money people are giving away in the for of money dance and chair, money trees, you don`t need a Premium account for do that. ( unless your picking money trees and you need information online infor that. ) while onthe issue of money trees money trees should just be done away wil totally, they are totally useless these days. And the creator of the money trees causes more problems by making a group to house those cheap people. Smart people a? well not really only greed and thinking he can get in LLABS happy zone by providing free money way(s) to the non paying free accounts. cute a? Well No just plain stupid, and selfish goals for himself.

With all the shopaholics in SL I don't know if I believe this at all.

I still think a small fee each month wouldn't dramatically affect the population anyway...not in the long wrong. Give a 30 day grace period then everyone Premium. You'll still see plenty of shoppers out there.

It seems that some people see this issue as only how it affects their income in SL. That is fine if you only see things that personally affect your profit margin with no thought to others. That is the way the business community works. Me me me.

I have a different view. Free accounts are a way for all of us to experience a more world wide view of others who may not have access to American type payment systems. I know that the griefer types abuse this but I don't really care. It is worth it.

This whole concept is nonsense.

In order to eliminate free accounts, Second Life would have to give up on one of its founding premises of Second Life.

The eventual metaverse/3D web.

And they will hand it to the next 3D web wanna-be that doesnt charge a premium fee.

---------------------

We may think their premise is unrealistic.

We may not want LL to hatch the 3D web either.

But thats what THEY want - and its their sand box.

Everywhere I've ever lived in RL - and that's a lot of places - one part of the population is pretty much excluded from what we may consider the finer things in life, and that includes so-called civilized western countries.

Perhaps I was wrong to think that SL could or would be different. Not everyone can afford to pay to enjoy SL. And, no, not everyone has a $ 1000 computer, before that tired old argument is thrown at us yet again. My own computer is about three years old and cost me about 600 euros (US$ 800) when I bought it. Works fine.

I know campers can be irritating and cause lag, and griefers are a pain in the ass (but they must buy their weapons systems somewhere, so do contibute), but why can't we just let people enjoy SL the way they want to, rather than the way those that favour exclusion think they should.

And the Lindens probably love the fact that you direct your ire at other residents, rather than at them for their inabilty make SL work most of the time.

I guess my response to this is why should we all run half a dozen camping alts each or am I one of the few that doesn't have them ?

So many folks seem to be in to necroposting this week, so I decided to go find a good really old debate.

So......... should we kick all those free-loaders off the grid?

Or maybe just kick out the kids, or the furries or the Gor folks.


Can you tell that I am bored and a bit pissy today?

Wow Lil...

btw, haven't seen Marty around for ages, possible a year or more, boy brings back memories from the hangout first starting out.

No comment on this question, since I'm a free account.

Wow,some old familiar names there.

Exactly

I was one of the most vocal when free acts started and I was against them. Now years later they are too big a part of the SL economy. Their removal would pretty much trash anything we have left after all the other crap thats going on right now.

As am I, and - I suspect - 60-75% of us on the grid. If free accounts were to be suddenly banned, SL as we all know it would cease to exist. Stores doing brisk business today would dry right up tomorrow.

On the other hand, I think there is merit in requiring everyone to have payment information on file.

Agreed Kat

As long as you don't kick out Robin!

So where was i? Oh ya i remember now!!!

it was interesting to see who doesn't post here anymore, my post at #47 still is true too, 2 years on and I still thought I'd have land by now.

You've been assimilated. Told you resistance was futile

I'm just glad this isn't the thread i posted in back then on this subject..
I still had a lot to learn about SL back then
Although i think i was always on free account side..still i bet i posted like a newblet that thought she knew what she was talking about heheheh

*peers* Good grief, a lot of undead threads recently, huh?

Never mind. LL has proven who their real customers are.

I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's · His hair was perfect!