Ad Farm Gouging

Well, we finally AR'ed the ad farm in the middle of our land. The 16 m was for sale for $9950 (621.87 L/ m). A Linden came to view, took down the rotating prims but left the price and the 16 m for sale....she told my partner that they are not enforcing that policy anymore. When did they stop this? Ad farmers can go back to gouging land owners for whatever they want again. Sighs.

The governance meeting is in about 15 minutes in Kremer -- I'd suggest asking about it there.

(I would, but I can't get there from here)

Unfortunately I am at work and can't get inworld and my partner is working as well.
I am usually not one to speak up or get upset but I am getting really disheartened with SL lately ...with my lost inventory and now this.

Well, unfortunately, it is not a ToS violation to sell your land for a stupid price. It is when they place stuff on it in an obvious attempt to uglify the parcel AND place it for sale for a high price that it falls under the Ad Farm rule.

The best you can hope for from LL is exactly what they did. Remove the build but leave the empty parcel for sale.

All you can do is build around it as best you can without giving them a reason to AR you.

With people holding off on buying land, they must want the ad farmers to keep paying tier.

Then let the ad farmers keep on paying tier for all those 16m parcels that nobody in their right mind will buy for that price.

"A Linden came to view, took down the rotating prims but left the price and the 16 m for sale...."
SO: A linden did exactly what they said they would do. This means that the *are* *still* enforcing the policy exactly as they said they would do.

"but left the price and the 16 m for sale...."
Yes. This is precisely as per the policy. There is nothing to prevent anyone setting a parcel price to millions if they wish to. This is as it should be.

The relevant extracts from the policy are:
"For the purpose of this post, ‘Ad Farm’ will apply specifically to advertising or content that is intended solely to drive an unreasonable price for the parcel it is on, usually by spoiling the view of others."
"So whilst advertising in itself is okay, where it crosses the line into harassing behavior or visual spam, where the intent is purely to compel another resident to pay an unreasonable price to restore their view - then this will be covered under Harassment in our Community Standards"


Hopefully, LL will treat ban lines on a small unreasonably priced parcel in the same way as any other parcel set up to grief others and force an unreasonable price.


An empty 16m plot set for sale at L$x,000 might be irritating but it is not harassment.

Has anyone found out if ban lines on 16s qualify as harassing behavior or visual spam? My neighbor has a situation where a 16 sq m plot next to hers is for sale for 2000 but is empty other than the ban lines.

Another good reason I am selling off my land and being done with it. Stuff like this just killed the interest of being on SL.

Yeah, that's kinda the problem: this first step adfarm ban helped, but just not enough, and it makes the rest of the Mainland improvement initiative look silly. Take a tour down Route 1 in Heterocera, where LDPW will be completing a road soon. It's just wall-to-wall ads, punctuated by microparcels at extortionate prices. Until Jack takes the next step on the adfarm policy, the Mainland experience is still much more aggravation than pleasure, and LDPW is just a waste of time.

(I do kinda wish they'd get this "zoning" thing out of their heads. It's just not scalable, and is by far the most difficult way to solve a problem with many simple and quick solutions. I'm not sure why they're so hesitant to just take one of the obvious next steps.)

Here's what happened to me in Bowfin.

Soon after the change in adfarm policy, that Robo guy took a plot he owned which happened to pretty much take up one whole lane in the middle of the Linden road. I started a concierge level ticket. One of the lindens (sorry, can't remember who.) got back to me within a day or two and said she'd try to do something, since the ban lines were blocking the road.

After a few weeks, I contacted the robo guy, offered to buy the plot at a lower price. He lowered it, but not low enough for a plot I intended to abandon to the gov anyway.

A few weeks ago, the road was rearranged and moved AROUND the banline plot. Becoming just another bit of roadside trash that me and the other residents were covering with trees and such anyway. Works for me.

I've since sold out in Bowfin, but afaik, the plot is still there. Not sure what this does for you, but I guess it's typical of the solutions the lindens can provide.

I now have all the plots but one in an old adfarm, what is the best building to put around the remaining 16m eyesore?

I just build a megaprim "encasement" and place it around the 16sqm in question. It is 40m tall, which encompasses most adtower builds. If you need taller, just shift-drag another copy once you have placed it.

IM me in-world and I will send you a copy and give you some pointers for how to do it which won't run afoul of the rules.

Linden trees. They're 1 prim each and add a nice garden touch.

And you can stretch them in size to make bushes