What can we non-EU players do to help our brothers and sisters in the EU ?

Me?

lol!

actually I've decided my way out of the VAT issue is to get larger... so just bought myself another sim from another resident (in Lindens, no VAT, YAY!) which I shall be busily terraforming & renting out very shortly.

(Does that count as a shameless plug?)

PS @ Steve - I know others have said it also, but that was a very well-intentioned post and that you did it is greatly appreciated.

Inc

/me prepares self-righteous response, then realizes that it will do no good whatsoever and just gives up and wanders off.

I think George Bush needs to give EU players a big incentive to use SL He can partially atone for his sins that way.

And the same shoes applies to those of us in America. GWB is a moron and I can't wait for his term to end. The world is NOT a better place since that man took office.

Oh, I did want to add the the VAT thing hurts everyone in SL if it means fewer Europeans join (or remain with) SL. Not only does that mean fewer virtual consumers, it also means fewer people, so we all suffer from a social point of view as well. I've met a lot of nice people here in SL, and many were from Europe. It'd be a shame if they disappeared.

SJ

After giving the matter a great deal of thought over at ponzimoney.com we've decided to use only EU cheeses in our calzoni, canelloni and home-made pizzas.

Bush is no worse than Gore or Kerry would have been, just different. As for getting rid of the wackos, except for Ron Paul, all of the current two party candidates are going to be worse than Bush ever dreamed of being.

I think the most disturbing thing I find about your posts (apart from the obviously selfish and aggressive attitude you have towards others) is that your details say your location is Caledon. Ill be sure to give the place a miss.

Hm. Bush made war. Gore made a movie. You decide.



(Sorry. Gonna drop the political stuff now. Honestly.)

Bush was in Office.

Gore needed a gig.

/me laughs and laughs... I think we deserve our current government becasue we had a chance to kick them out and we didn't.

However, imho, this has been one of the worst administrations ever... I have a hard time seeing Gore or Kerry or McCaine doing worse than this bunch.

As far as the current set of candidates... I see much more potential in most of them than in our current President.

So, I guess it depends on how you look at it..

/me chuckles.

.d

ok, back on topic please. Any more ethical EU land barons ? Any more ideas to help the cause ?

He's only a renter there. Caledon is a fine place.

Steve, there is not a lot that can be done for the EU residents. The EU land barrons will have to charge more for their product. The other Barons could raise their prices to match but somehow I doubt this will happen. In cut throat nature of SL ecomony someone will lower their prices to get the business.
I think the explosive growth of SL has stopped at last. Perhaps sadly the end of SL is in sight. I have a number of issues with Linden Labs and hear there is a new game starting in Japan.
I do not see the non EU resident paying VAT after all we do not pay VAT now for online purchaces from the EU, why would this be different?
The following is for Linden Labs, I WILL NOT PAY EU VAT! If this is forced upon me I will drop back to basic and perhaps just quit. The EU does nothing for me. Not one service do they provide for me or my family and thus paying taxes to them is offensive to me. You are not going to be able to sit on the fence and please everyone. Understand you wish to be a "global" company but with current laws and tax policy that is not possible. Your goal is just not possible perhas someday but not now.

Perhaps the EU customer would be better off renting instead of buying.

Desmond Shang has created a very nice place in SL. Caledon is number one! I would rent from no other person and Caledon is the home of many very nice people.

VAT? We need it????

No - But players from the EU have to pay it.

Sadly, I think that, for SL's continued viability, we all will have to pay in some way - because if other worlds are any indication, they are willing to make everyone else subsidize the EU, similarly to as we have been doing in other ways that we were not aware of.

Awareness hurts.

global economy needs carefull management to either reflect costs... which LL wont do, they need to reduce overheads and increase income... (bye bye free accounts)...which they wont do or need... or need to stabilize the costs so that theres an equal playing field.... this is a possibility as is managing a seperate pricing structure per each countries "value" system ... i.e SL isnt economically viable to a LOT of chinese but with free accounts .... BAM you got got camper farms... you got L$10 Chung.

Its all a bit negative at the moment....all we are saying .....................is give peace a chance

Aware the following, laughs.......

Due to the exchange rate Non EU members pay more than their EU counterparts. Thus in a odd way the VAT is making EU members play an amount closer to that of their non EU counterparts. I wonder how much more the Euro will be worth compaired to its non Euro counterparts.
I just remembered that not all of the EU uses the Euro. I need to check and see how the rise of the Euro has affected them.
<Ranma does a quick check>
This is so interesting and I have noticed that Euro users are paying less now than they were in 2005.
USA vs Euro 10/2005 $1.20 equals 1 Euro 10/2007 10/2007 $1.44 equals 1 Euro or decrease in effective rates of 17.7 percent.
USA vs British Pounds 10/05 $1.76 equals 1 Pound Sterling 10/07 $2.04 equals 1 Pound Sterling or an increase of 13.8 percent
USA vs Swedish Krona 10/05 $.125 dollar equals 1 Krona 10/07 .153 dollar equals 1 Krona or a increase of 18.4 percent
USA vs Japanese Yen 10/05
10/05 $.00845 equals 1 Yen 10/07 $.00859 or an increase of 1.7 percent.
Since the dollar has been falling the other countries have been making out in the conversion of their currencies to dollars.
The VAT in Germany is currently 16 percent thus they are still ahead 1.7 percent until it rises to 19 percent which will equal a loss of 1.3 percent.
The British VAT is set at 17.5 percent or a loss of 3.7 percent.
The Swedish VAT is set at 25 percent or a loss of 6.6 percent.

I do not see why the EU customers are panicing. Their SL bill has been decreasing over the last two years. Now it is time for you to pay your fair share to your home countries. Think of it this way, you are helping to support your own country!

And to think, I loaded up on imported cheese today!

If LLABS raised cost i pay for it. If it lessen the campers and stopped free accounts.

I'm guessing you didn't major in economics?

Exchange rates mean very little. If you really want to know how much the cost of 'playing' SL is to each country you need to find the average salary and living costs for each country and then base it on disposable income at the end. The standard of living is not based on currency conversion rates.

As I have replied to your post in another thread, the SL economy has nothing to do with any country. If you trade in SL you are buying and selling in $L in direct competition with non VAT paying business owners. Already EU land owners are having to sell up as there is very little margin to make a profit with higher purchase costs and monthly tier. Those that do make a profit still have to cash out in $US (even though the payment office is in the UK) and then have it converted to their own currency.

Is it just us in the EU who will suffer for it? What happens to the grid that holds nearly half Europeans when they sell up and move on due to not being able to compete? Even those of us who can survive it have less to spend on others creations, rent etc.

See my other post, With the increase in value of the European currencies you have been paying less and less for Second Life. Now the playing field is being leveled with the VAT.
I have not called you names but you have resorted to calling me bad names.
I will not call you names in return.
Be well