2009's November Surprise?

I wish I could supply the reference, but I don't remember where I found it -- but somewhere in one of the SLCC speeches, when one of the bigwigs was saying something similar to the quote from SLCC above how huge and painful changes were going to be necessary to move to the next incarnation of SL, they said outright that many of the early adopters were not going to be happy with the changes. And the impression the quote gave me was not a "growing pains" kind of unhappiness, but a definite "you're not going to like the new SL, and we don't care, because we don't need you anymore so don't let the door hit you on your way out."

That's the attitude that worries me, and that makes me hesitant to buy any more land (even though I'd love to have it), and this is despite the fact that, as a freelance editor, the "new" SL will probably be very helpful for me. "Helpful" doesn't mean something I want to invest my money or my heart in.

Might be wise not to stereotype all Facebook users...I do it all the time....but if I had not left my previous career, I would have had to use it whether I like it or not.....and I remember all the names that showed up the last time I had an account there.....most were business owners and entrepreneurs, technically savvy with a creative flair, very involved in the workings of the Internet, very involved with message boards and forums, and most over the age of 35, with a nice income. Sort of describes a large percentage of my current customer base in SL.

Wow, No Romance Without Finance? You need some new RL folks to hang with, ewww!

I agree with you only insofar as this: the bar for entry into commerce in SL is going up, which is unfortunate. More and more stuff from excellent 3D artists will become available for low prices. So, a new resident will no longer be able to learn the build tools, spend a few hours making a neat gazebo with purchased textures, and expect to sell it.

LL will provide new users with good stuff, but everyone will still have the SAME stuff. So LL creators will still be in demand, if they can position their stuff as wonderful boutique items. But the most successful creators will need business savvy. If someone wants to sell to the Facebook crowd, it probably would be good to learn how to make photoreal stuff, and become (or partner with) a reasonably good virtual marketeer, who can get you into whatever blogs and other media that turn out to be important.

About the Gucci: Many RL folks (myself included) would not be caught dead wearing logowear. Coach will have to pay ME before ima make myself into their frigging billboard.

I certainly won't be expanding or investing any further into SL.....not until the LL roadmap has been defined. If what you say ends up being true....it sounds pretty ominous.

I'm gonna make the FIC list this year. That's the November surprise.

I *should* be FIC 'cause I sell prim-my objects that encourage people to spend money on tier.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Oh, you had to bring up Coach..my one weak spot. I love my Coach bags.

But you are right. The little Mom and Pop, doing it because they love it creator will disappear from the SL landscape, just as they have in RL. And gone with them will be a lot of the quirky and unique and even perplexing content that makes SL a wonderful place, replaced by the mass marketed, safe and predictable.I am not looking forward to it, I really think it will result in an SL I will not want to spend time in.

Same here between Zindra and this, I am not either. I really want to do some things that require some committment, but I won't invest in something that I think will not be of interest to me in 6 months to a year from now.

Brenda's style is so tailored and classy, somehow I knew

But I forgive you, because no-one has branded your spirit.

Oh I don't. I know there are very valuable uses for it for a lot of people once you get past all the insipd banality. SL me even has a page. RL me however wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near.

Disclosure: I like those stupid time wasting games on FB, so my rant on insipid banality is somewhat disingenous.

They just haven't come up with the right price.

I wouldn't mind if free accounts were shown advertising on login and during TPs.
If they didn't want it then they pay a fee to be free of it.
That sort of model has existed on the Net for years.

That wouldn't be a bad idea at all. It would make me consider to start paying again.

It would require eliminating the open source client. Because you know Emerald and the rest would just block the ads.

Oh come on, Rene.....just turn your sim into a Club Med type with condos and community pool, neighborhood bar, gym, laundry room with bar and big screens, and a nude beach....add some trendy shops, a coffee shop with wireless, and a wine shop....add speed dating events and neighborhood get-togethers....add Brenda as your social coordinator.....

If that doesn't hit, just put a conference room above the gym, and call it a Corporate Retreat.....and you've got it made.

And don't tell me that's already been done, because I looked for it all last week....and it's not there, or someone isn't marketing right. My alt ended up in a condo building with no pool, no gym, and no laundry room, (how the heck do you pick someone up without THAT?).....and has to tp out for coffee and wine.

LL would be able to detect cases where ads were not being downloaded to clients. THey could log out such a user.

But ...
The non-standard clients could download them but not display them.

Perhaps freebie users could be paid small L$ for clicking on ads to clear them?
Que the bots

Que non-standard clients that hide the ads and do the click in the background....



But...
Maybe it's a percentage game.
Would a high enough percentage of FaolbookTwitters just go with the standard client?

Google this

Then that would make Mature Mainland obsolete. If you can't use your naughty toys on a mature parcel in private, it is useless. So the mainland becomes Predictable PG Disneyland. Yep. I like the way you think.

having the new accounts using a predetermined range of freebies already provided in their library, would take a lot of the fun out of the platform, and turn all the new accounts into an army of clones. Which I personally am not thrilled about.

However, it would also do an extremely fabulous job of satisfying the new buzzword of choice at Linden Lab.

A MORE PREDICTABLE EXPERIENCE

It doesn't get any more predictable than having every last avatar on the grid be a clone of another one.

Look for the November surprise to involve a substantial push to eliminate in-world business in favor of the more predictable Clone Wars, and all the old-timers drug kicking and screaming into said armies of clones when their inventories are purged of non-conforming, creative content.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks that way.

Can't happen.....too much land are held by shop owners and malls owners. Azures, one of SL largest estates, just announced its shedding 5% of it's Sims......just imagined if LL tried to shut down in-world content.?? The grid would shrink by 20, 30 or more percent by Christmas. That means LL tier income would shrink too.....which is supposed to help pay for their 300+ employees.

Sorry I don't see it! I know LL can be pretty daft with their policy changes......but surely not suicidal??

I'd prefer to think they're not suicidal. But who knows?

Here's another twist in our sobriety, as it were.

I heard tonight that Linden Lab has officially closed the teen grid today. Permanently. Haven't had any confirmation of this, it's just from one source, but it begs the question:

Teen and adult grid merger in November? Philip's already tipped us off as to the reasons why (in his opinion) it is essential. Zindra is no longer an annoyance in the future, it's already reality. Facebook seems to be getting more popular with Linden Lab too, and there are a whole lot of teens there. Next step, the final merger, with today's rumored closer of the teen grid just one more step on that roadmap?

Oh God, no!

Can The Suicidal Avatar be far behind?

I wonder if Amelia would make a good Kamikaze?

I expect she would be perfect