Clarification on island "reservations"

I just learned what's going on with the reservation system that's caused some of us so much confusion and headaches lately. The full, illustrated, explanation is on my blog (this is a safe-for-work link, so long as you don't go browsing around at the rest of the blog):
http://wildefirewalcott.blogspot.com/2008/03/reservation-system-then-and-now.html

I would just copy/paste the whole thing here, but the formatting differences would make doing so a pain- but here's a short summary:

- Yes, the ability to make low-priced grid "reservations" instead of full island purchases was discontinued in September of last year.
- Reservations, like full islands, block both adjacent and diagonal encroachment.
- There are some "rogue" reservations out there that still show up in Land Store, but aren't valid anymore. LL will let you build on or near them if you ask.
- The majority of reservations in Land Store are actively being maintained by paying residents. They only expire if the reservation holder stops paying for them.
- Estate owners DO have easy expansion options if they are currently blocked in.

I confirmed this with Concierge this morning. Again, for the full story, see the blog post.