New blog post on LL's Content Management Roadmap

I didn't say that I did. You think I'm that deluded? :-/

My understanding of what I read is that the Content Seller Program would be optional. Sort of a "seal of approval". I can't see it making much of a difference to consumers. If I see a shirt I like and it's going to cost me $300L I don't think I would decide not to purchase it just because the seller isn't certified.

On balance, I think the news is very heartening. I welcome a stronger system of protection for intellectual property, a broader range of permissions and the inclusion of all-important metadata with products. More than anything else, I am glad to see that the Lindens will be offering a more immediate system of redress to complainants. I have always thought that bringing an action for copyright infringement in SL - even in the Small Claims Court - would be a bit like hauling a cannon into the living room to dispose of a fly.

Perhaps it is somewhat restrictive in that prospective content sellers "meet a minimum threshold for content transactions" but that will probably be a good thing. One of my biggest bugbears with SL is that there is far too much amateurish crap on sale. I'm almost phobic about buying anything today as a result of the real dollars I wasted back in my newbie days.

It's all very well that we can start building and creating from the first day we rez but I think it's appropriate that residents pay their dues learning their craft in the context of SL before slapping something in a vendor. I think the content seller programme as it is outlined would provide a fairly good ad hoc indicator of customer satisfaction, which is better than nothing or better than simple word of mouth at any rate.

So what if we have have a threshold for content transactions before participating? My business is still in development but I will be equally happy to pay my dues selling cold, thereby earning the right to participate in the programme if I wish.

Do you really think that some sort of seal of approval granted by someone who's possibly never seen the product in question is worth more than a recommendation from a friend whose judgement you trust?

And, given the choice between buying two products, about one of which little is known other than that the creator meets the criteria that he or she
and another, which is recommended as an excellent product by people who use it and which is produced by someone who, despite the fact he or she was once suspended briefly a year or so ago for -- for example -- swearing at a Linden, enjoys a good reputation for customer service, which would you choose?

If I were a resident, I would go with word-of-mouth. However, if I were a corporate client (and I, too, am of the opinion that this is something to do with finding 'safe' brands to recommend to corporate clients) then I would go with whatever the provider (Linden Lab) recommended.

Just remember how the shapes of some of the new default avatars were changed by Linden Lab to make them more acceptable. Those avatars were going into every inventory; they had to be 'safe' avatars. (I know of at least one of the creators of those avatars who later issued the original shape for one of the default female avis.) The same thing might possibly happen with this Approved Vendors list, or whatever it's going to end up as.

Perhaps they plan on making it so that only "Certified"* merchants can sell at all somewhere along the line. It would probably make the corporates happy.

*With certified one day meaning "approved".

Regardless, no matter what their actual intent is, they will botch this up just as they have everything else to where it will be far more damaging than anyone will expect.

How about the suspension part. You like that idea too? Anyone who has ever been suspended can't get certified?

This alone makes the program worthless.

Nah, that was what you call a rhetorical question.

Well, Argent, this is one step closer to you getting SL game-cards in Walmart.

How has something that started out as "Your World. Your Imagination" been turned into a "predictable experience" of "managed content"? This news is impossibly more disheartening then the "Adult Content" policy changes.

Every new communication from Linden Lab sounds like the doors slamming shut behind Maxwell Smart. Careful, everyone... one of them is bound to smack you in the face.

Honestly, it really does look like SL is going to become the Pod-Person of it's former self. Sanitized, safe, docile, complacent and perfect for comsumer comsumption.

It's been sad for me to watch something I've loved so much waste away under the cancer of consumerism. SL used to give me hope that creativity and community would win but I see now how foolish that hope was. Corporate profit is the only motivating factor.

More then anything, this latest piece of disgusting news makes me want to go out and steal everything from this platform that I can steal and play Robin Hood with it. I can't be the only one who feels like that, could I?

No, you aren't. I'm not a creator and I'm disguisted. Maybe because I am not a creator. I need to buy all my stuff from you guys. I love the quirky, unique , edgy, naughty stuff that come out of your twisted minds. I don't want the mass market, corporate logoed garbage. I have enough of that in RL.

Exactly. Since this part makes it wholly possible someone's excluded from the programme on grounds most people would think are utterly irrelevant to his or her probity and skill, or lack of them, as a content creator, the fact someone's on the list or not on the list becomes pretty meaningless.

Who goes around saying, "Not buying stuff from him, 'cos he was once suspended for a day or so for being a nuisance when he was a newbie a couple of years ago"?

The concept that LL is finally giving more serious consideration to these issues is promising. But at the same time, their track record for handling other issues points to this becoming a disaster of epic proportions.

They want our feedback? Oh yeah? Like they wanted it on Adult Content? On OpenSpaces? On Windlight? On serious bugs that have gone unrepaired, even though explicitly identified, for over 2 years? On bugs in RC clients that should NEVER have been allowed to exist in a final release client? On other major changes in the past, where if they paid any attention to what residents asked for and complained about at all, it seemed it was mostly to form a roadmap of how to piss off as many people as possible and do it the worst way possible?

The idea of a "Content Sellers" approval has merit. But the apparent "One strike and you're out" rule regarding suspension of account, with NO clause exempting temporary suspensions that proved to be unjustified, or which were in no way related to content production and sales, bothers me greatly.

It also bothers me the way they are comparing this incipient "Content Sellers" program to their "Gold Solution Providers" program. The Gold Solution Providers program requires high fees annually to join and maintain membership in, has high volume thresholds as a requirement for being in the program, and gives little in return to the Gold members other than preferred sorting in searches for solutions providers. In short, the way their Solutions Providers program is set up, if you aren't wacking out new projects for new clients each and every quarter, you're out. A provider who has a steady job working on one huge, long-term project for a single, major client would not qualify for the Gold Program, even though they are producing more content, building more sims, and putting in more man hours in development time than the person who specializes in doing fast-turnaround projects for smaller clients. If they use the Gold Solution Providers program as a model for the "Content Sellers" program, I would anticipate fees in excess of $250 USD a year to be in the program, sales levels per quarter that indicate you can pay that fee easily out of quarterly sales revenue and still turn a profit, and a constant sword hanging over your head that one AR and suspension for false pretenses or for matters unrelated to content creation and sales could throw your approved status in the crapper forever, with no appeal.

If they perform as they have in the past on major issues, I see no sense in even bothering to give them feedback. They already know what they plan to do, and will do it no matter what we say, no matter how stupid or suicidal it is.

I really hope that this pessimistic view of these actions is not warranted, and that they will actually make some really positive changes here. As a content creator since 2005, with a queaky clean AR record on every account I have ever had, and a long list of satisfied and very happy customers, I'd love to see a viable "Content Sellers Seal of Approval". But somehow I doubt that many Content Sellers will qualify for the way LL will set it up, or will be willing to pay the fees that LL is extremely likely to associate with the status.

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As for the alternative clients, the cat is already so far out of the bag on that one that she's a grandmother for all the litters of kittens she's had since she escaped.

I have seen clients that allow you to copy someone else's full-perms prim item, and bring it back into SL with you as the Creator, textures and all.

I have seen clients that will allow you to rip off a no-transfer shape that you are wearing, and transfer it to a different account, with no trace or where it came from, and while at the same time capturing virtually all the UUID codes for the skin, hair and non-prim clothes your avatar was wearing when you captured their shape info to your hard drive. Thankfully, it didn't re-import the shape to the new account with those textures. And it appeares that if the texture was not full perms in the creator's inventory, it couldn't get the UUID. But it did record the UUID's for the un-baked clothing and skin from several creators whose products are certainly NOT full perms or transferrable. I can only guess that in the Creator's own inventory, they hadn't locked down the perms on their own copy of the texture.

And I generally avoid most of the non-LL clients, so I am sure I haven't seen the worst offenders.

Are there legitimate uses for these copying tools? Yes.

Are there sufficent methods in place now to prevent the misuse of such tools, or to prosecute and eliminate the thieves who mis-use such copy tools for content theft, both within SL and by exporting them to other grids? Not by a long shot, nor do I expect LL will provide them.

I'm just waiting for the first time someone decides to use this system to grief someone, or attack a competitor. I didn't see anything in this grand plan for an improved "linden court system", just more police powers.

One of the great things about SL is that amateurs have a big part in the system. Without that there would be a fraction of the content creators in SL.

I have over 300 full-on avatars, so I suspect I've spent more money on "amateurish crap" than 99% of the people in SL, and I have no regrets about buying any of it. A lot of that "amateurish crap" was produced by people who are now among the top avatar makers in SL, if I and people like me hadn't bought that "amateurish crap" where would they be?

On the other hand, I've *recently* spent good money on several gifts for someone, from one of the big names in clothes who would certainly be considered for this kind of program, and when I see them on her... oh my god the pixels.

Given the way that so many Lindens act surprised by things that are obvious and well known to any resident, and given the bizarre content provided by Linden Labs preferred builders in Zindra, I think the business would be better off taking the advice of just about anyone BUT Linden Labs.

That reminds me, wasn't someone working on a collection of full perm copies of the previous generation of avatars, because they didn't like the new ones as much?

It would depend on why they were suspended in the first place. I guess the right thing would be for the Lindens to review the reasons for the suspension.


Bully for you, Argent, commendable sentiments.

For my part, I've kept the work of my 'prentice hands to myself without wishing to turn a buck out of it and I would prefer others did the same. I guess we just have to agree to differ on that one.

Agreed, but that's you (and I) speaking as residents; those that know what Linden Lab is capable (and not capable) of.

Mr Bigwig, of Bigwig Service Solutions, sitting in his comfortable leather chair in his office and handing down orders to "get into this virtual world thing" because he's seen LL's publicity about SL being good for corporate clients won't even be aware of the stuff we all know about. His IT people will kit out their corporate Bigwig avatars (with costly Bigwig surnames) in shapes from Approved Shape Co, skins from Approved Skin Co, and so on. Heaven forbid they should venture out into some of the quirky little Japanese sims for clothing, or explore places like Snatch City and The Block...

possibly no one at the moment, but like all social engineering the time will come.

The more I think about it the more it does seem like we're going into a two tier system. There'll be the chosen few who LL will promote as part of the content provision to business and to newbie consumers (those missing millions) who come inworld (think showcase type thing) and then there'll be the ever reducing herd of swine that is currently us.

I can't apply. There's no way I can even remember who I bought most of my textures et al from and with what av, so there's no way I can even go to the supplier and get a guarantee of authenticity and approval for use outside of SL (which is what is needed if they're going over to the BIAB platforms).

Even if I did there's no guarantee they're telling the truth, yet I would be required to attest everything is legitimate.

As this is LL though I suspect it's just marketing and that they'll talk the talk but not do anything about applying their standards.

That was my point about people slandering viewers. Greenlife is being slandered all over by people who have no idea wtf they are talking about. Don't complain about the viewer, complain about the ability the viewer has in the wrong hands.


Maybe today but MMO's were a laughable concept 12 years ago when we were mostly on dialup. However server side rendering would not work for SL anyway being LL wants to bank on selling the platform itself to big companies. Those companies would not be interesting in the cost of server side rendering anyway. That is the sad part of this. SL is just a marketing tool for LL to sell the platform it runs on. Just a big working example. Pretty smart plan. Build a platform, get the residents to build the infastructure then use their work to sell the platform to make the real money.

All these changes are not about whats better for SL and the user, it is what is better to sell the platform.

I also wonder if they will let any non-accepted content creator sell on Xstreet...... I am glad I make content only for myself and close friends in SL. A real life job is less stress.

So where do we get to the part where I should start feeling optimistic about it, like Ephraim?

The first virtual worlds were text mode, MUDs and Mucks, and I was running one over dialup a quarter of a century ago. 3d virtual worlds were science fiction back then, yes, literally so... but even then it was obvious that you'd need a stream of thin data and rendering it at the end user. True Names, the first realistic representation of a virtual world, was published in 1981 and describes a world that feels more like Second Life... down to n00bs on badly textured giant motorbikes... than just about anything I read in the following two decades. And that's how the Other Plane in True names worked.

In a few years you might be able to get something that looks better than SL today over a stream, but by then it will be competing with local rendering that's even better. It's not a race server-side can win. It's the central-computing dumb-terminals race that was lost pretty much for good the day Intel shipped the 8080.

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Intellectual_Property

This link is the one that will change my second life and most probably end it.
The enforcement of every trademark that has been coming for years will kill me.
I have been trying to clean up my act over the last 6 months altering and changing logo's and brands and it is a big job.I am talking about things like drink names and bar stuff.
Nine days ago an item of mine was withdrawn from Xstreet because of this.The item was a label from a wine bottle that I made into a texture a year ago.
On xstreet I see stuff with actual names and big brands that are still for sale....This will change now.I guess this is what the 30 days grace is for.
I have also sold bar backs that have real brands ,now that must change.Sure i can do it but I am thinking of scrapping Blot and starting afresh.Not all my stuff is affected but my mind set is.
There must be a huge cull of products coming soon it will be massive and I am sure some big places will have to close or rethink and start again.
I am not from the states and here in the UK we are not as obsessed with this issue.

So I will make a cup of coffee have a puff and mull over the situation.

This is no longer the place I joined almost 3 years ago.

And they'll prevent this from being gamed, how?

And more to the point, why?

They have every reason to want the in-world transaction volumes to climb after enacting this policy. And so they shall, as alts buy each others' sh!t.

There's a whole Flock of soon to be unemployed bots: set them loose on taking creators' payments to buy the same creators' stuff, for a 0.01% commission. How hard could it be?

I have always followed the trademark guidelines laid down by Mad Magazine.

However, you *are* allowed to use Coke and the Coke logo in SL.

The people whining about crooks copybotting their authentic Ferraris, now...

I guess it shows the resident in question is capable of running a business in SL. Many aren't, which I think is patently obvious with every other vendor I come across.

There seems to be a great deal of attention being paid to the Content Seller Programme at the expense of the rest of the proposal. Frankly, it just seems to be a question of setting up a sanitised, neutral content business if I want the corporate dollar. Otherwise it would be business as usual with hairy dicks and talking tummies and the corporates can take a running jump. What's the problem?