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

As long as you realise the rest of us don't share that attitude, I'm good.

Yes, and I apologised with it knowing it could be a bit below the belt, but it was too hard not to link in with some of the previous rude comments from Ranma going on about not getting anything from the EU to pay taxes for.

/me nods understanding your motivation.

So easy to get sucked into the nationalist stuff triggered by issues which delineate our regional differences. I try not to rise to the bait because nobody comes out of it looking good.

Nah, just as I don't apologize for anything one of my countrymen may say, I don't expect it from anyone else. And besides I understand the motivation to say it.

Yes it does because of the sense of Community developed, but still in essence we really can't do much about it othe than be sympathetic. Even here, costs of living vary so widely, that the $9.95 a month I pay in New Jersey translates differently from that of someone in Ohio, or Kentucky, where the cost of living may be lower, but salaries also are loer for comparable jobs. Would that rquire additional field leveling? I don't know, I slept through most economics classes. but I agree with your feelings. On a side note it really is distressing how these topics degenerate into the political nonsense they invariably do, where even some of the most level headed posters get sucked into it.

well you are all welcome to the hangout later .... for a slice of pie ... and a big hug from me .... and me new dreds *grin*

Remember folks .... regardless of anything else ... its just a game/platform etc. we come to relax not fight ... leave the life and death issues to RL

/me gives everyone a BIG hug ..... (and plays with brendas panties *wink*)

I just don't think people (outside of forums) are considering things like that. I think it's a price issue and that's that. They pay more, it's not fair, so they downgrade or go. It's all very black and white with no shades of grey in between.

It's so difficult to compare to other kinds of online services, because elsewhere we get to shop around, find more suitable suppliers, and don't tend to mix much (if at all) with our host business's other customers, let alone compete against or do business with those customers ourselves.

If Ohio citizens suddenly found themselves paying 17.5% more for Second Life and started dropping out of game, I doubt it would dent Linden Lab's business model much at all. The affected European area contains about 720 million more people so I imagine it's more noticeable when large numbers begin to downgrade and/or flee.

Linden Lab really need to work on pissing off one country at a time instead of entire continents. =D

Well I'm not sure I'm one of the level headed ones, but it's happened to me in the past and I'm always annoyed with myself when it happens.

I agree that this is all very unique, so most conventional thinking does go out the window. it's easy for me, as long as i feel the entertainment value for time and money spent remanins, I'll stay, and deal with any possible cost increase accordingly.

On the other point, I've found myself deciding to delete entire posts before hitting the send button increasingly. My skin seems to be thinng lately.

My patience has been thinning. I now have to count to 1000 before I reply to a post on this forum to keep me from saying something I later have to apologize for.

Hugs, sweet Brenda.

Maybe we all need to hug and leave this thread. I really did want to express solidarity with my "brothers and sisters" across the Atlantic. I have come to know many of you, and I enjoy your company and creativity.

I feel confident that if something similar happened to we Americans, that some of you in the EU would feel similarly to me. I was very touched by the outpouring of affection for us on 9-11-2001. With that note, I shall say no more and slink out of here.

Well.

I think, on the whole, I am not going to bother looking here any more other than to see if SL is borked or if it's just me.

The forums as they were before they got streamlined into the current format were fun.

The forum here has been fun (usually).

It's just another crappy bun fight, with lots and lots of threads which if you try to introduce a little levity - or heaven forbid have a point of view stated reasonably but firmly - it just all goes to hell in a handbasket.

You can say one thing and get a reply which is apropos of nothing, or jingoistic - or frankly outright intolerant and racist.

Those who want to know ... I will see you in world.

What! you can't abandon me here! Come back woman!

Anyway check out Robin's comment in the latest blog.

You DEFINITELY know where I am, neighbour.

The forums as they were before they got streamlined into the current format were more like Second Citizen's long lost relative. Nothing wrong with that, but I find it interesting how easily that's forgotten. Old forums and Second Citizen were excellent places, but with so many users of each, dramatic blowouts and strong personalities would unfairly taint the whole community now and then. It took many months for me to start posting here last year because all the fighting deterred me. Interesting that the same reason was later cited for people not joining in at SC.

Bleh. You're right. It's just a forum. A sense of community emerges. People get familiar and over-familiar with each other, say clever things and not so clever things. Sensitivies are more easily provoked as they get to know each other and things blow up now and then. That it's happening here now is a sign that Strife really has loosened the reigns a little, and indicates to me that good ole General will never be back.

Have a good one. I'm planning on dropping out after post 900 for a bit. I just waste too much time here.

The difficulty arises because it is nearly impossible to discuss the VAT issue without regional differences coming up. The tax systems in the two largest RL regions where SL's residents reside in RL are wildly different, and (before this issue came up) widely either unknown to the other or misunderstood. The discussions about how (if at all) to "equalize" the situation are inevitably going to bring regional discussions to the fore. Because the VAT issue is a regional one in the first instance, it's going to be, to some degree, a regional discussion. And people have, in some cases, very strong perspectives about things like taxes, subsidies and the like, while others have strong opinions about level playing fields, SL's continued viability and the like. The issue is simply snake oil.

What is the justification in being pissed off at LL over the VAT?

They changed the notice thing (which means they ate the cost of the VAT for another month).

the VAT wasn't their idea.

Its like being mad at the police when someone steals your purse.

But would they have changed it if the paesants hadn't shown up with pitchforks and torches like they did?

The peasants should have stormed the castle in Brussels, not the one in San Fran.

Probably not - But they did change it after all.

The castle in Brussels had already told us, informed us, and kept us upto date with VAT.

And still told you you had to pay it.

I havent called you bad names. I commented on your selfish and aggressive attitude towards others. That isnt calling bad names. If you IM me I know somebody who can explain what calling bad names really is. Thats a very interesting synopsis of international economics btw, however there are several factors you have failed to taken into account. I wont detail them in case you think Im belittling your powers of reasoning.

Maybe if you had stormed that castle, you wouldn't be paying it at all. When the state of Tennessee tried to impose an income tax upon it's citizens, they surrounded the Statehouse with cars honking horns. The income tax did not pass. When government employees and elected officials have a fear of the citizens it is a good thing.

Perhaps you'd care to look up the Poll Tax riots? We do more than honk horns when required. We topple the Prime Minister and get her silly taxation system abolished thank you very much.