Bravo Ann Otoole:The Showcase Post

One last focused comment. The “Showcase” inside the client application. The move to remove the gamed and useless “popular Places” tab deserves accolades. However, the decision to replace it with the showcase that includes commercial interests may not have been a wise idea as this move gives the selected merchants an unfair advantage in terms of visibility and cost. I.e.; The merchants on the showcase enjoy a “stamp of approval” from Linden Labs and free advertising in a major way while providing no means of competing to get said advertising advantage to the rest of the SL business community. I will venture a suggestion that it would be wise to have legal counsel review this decision in respect to anti trust law in the USA. Perhaps you should simply order the showcase to include no commercial interests and no interests that are connected in any way with a commercial interest until such time as the market can compete fairly for this type of advertising advantage. In addition, the Bay City sim set may also fall under some anti trust law elements as well. I would suggest you clamp down on “ideas” to stop them from going forward until a serious and comprehensive legal analysis is conducted to ensure Fair Trade practices and law is upheld and maintained in the global marketplace of Secondlife. Perhaps LL needs to hire an intellectual property lawyer to sit in on the various groups, office hours, etc.; and ensure people are not violating any rights or laws during their noble quest to enable a true global marketplace.

I think Showcase makes for a nice addition honestly (although they should probably try to shy away from including stores).

It does showcase how much of a tool Ann is

The general consensus goes against the OP's view and I concur. I am troubled that the two posts that I esepcially liked were from 2K and poopmaster....

How do the little guys who may not have the experience and the exposure ever get showcased? We won't.
Call me a tool for feeling that way if you like, but for the content creators who haven't been around forever and those of us who are still trying to break into the SL business world, this Showcase is nothing but Linden favoritism and greased palms.

I agree with Danielle, mostly from what I see in the music section. I'm not an expert on the others, although I have a hard time believing that the H & R Block region is a Hot Spot.



The music Showcase section is a joke, plain and simple. I got an idea. How about using actual jazz venues guys. I know, that is something that makes a lot of sense, so it may be foreign. The "jazz" clubs on that list are horrible. Bogart's....jazz? Yeah, sure. Phat Cat's? Slightly better. SeaBreeze would do themselves a service by actually playing jazz if they want to be considered a jazz club. Sunset is the same as Bogart's, playing Martini In The Morning. Not horrible, but damn, how about some Miles or Coltrane? Or according to these SL "jazz" clubs, jazz has to have vocals. God forbid they play music that requires actual listening. It's basically lowest common denominator jazz. Smooth jazz and Frank Sinatra, yeah, that's the ticket.

About the only club that I've been to on the list and liked is the Blarney. Mannequin....fine if you like horrible techno music.

I find the "Showcase" for music to be a joke. They should hire someone who actually knows about music to come up with the list. I am just dying to go to the Let's Talk Music and here what they're talking about. It might be good, but since it's in the Showcase, I'm not holding my breath. "Today, we're going to discuss the deep meanings in Brittany's new album." Hooo!!



Yeah, I'm bitter.

You're all slowly catching up to my way of thinking. Give it another two years and you'll be wondering why Strife locked my 'Show us your Vagina!' thread.

The next time a newbie asks "so... what do I do now?" (about the most common newbie question) you can at least point them to the showcase and they can get a sense of what they can do in SL.

I do think that the showcase is going to become the "linden approved" business listing. There are already businesses listed on there....stores that sell clothing, hair, and other AV furnishings...and may or may not be what the general populace thinks is the best retail shops. The shops in the showcase will be hand picked by Linden Labs, and there-fore will surely be given an unfair advantage for free in the Second Life marketplace. How does one get "Showcased"? By being hand picked by the Lindens who will run it. How do the little guys who may not have the experience and the exposure ever get showcased? We won't.


Call me a tool for feeling that way if you like, but for the content creators who haven't been around forever and those of us who are still trying to break into the SL business world, this Showcase is nothing but Linden favoritism and greased palms.

It does showcase how much of a tool Ann is

I do not think anyone signed up for SL to be directed to H and R Block Island.

Uncalled for!

She has more intellect in her little finger than you could ever hope to possess.
Not saying she's always right, but she does present a good argument.........and stirs people's thoughts!

Considering this is in RC does it matter yet?

I have to agree with your assesment of the SL Jazz Scene. It is rather derivative. I like Martini in the Morning too, but I'd like to hear some Miles and Trane, and Dizzy too. And some good 70's Fusion like Weather Report and Return to Forever. And definitely more Big Band. Maynard Ferguson, and Stan Kenton and........You get the idea.