Bravo Ann Otoole:The Showcase Post

Anti-trust does not apply since the stores/ideas are not owned by linden labs but by the users of the second life service. As for the way the showcase works, show how the places are picked with what is still considered a testing application. As for the combination of commercial and non-commercial it hurts the arguments presented since many are not for-profit therefore no material gains in being showcased.

Implied legal actions against an at will service usually results in termination of said service and court case records will show that you can complain but nothing they can do, since any company can refuse you service with very few legal limitations.

Unless it can be shown that locations are PAYING LL to be Showcased, I can't find any problem with it - and would hardly call it a case of "greased palms". That's just ridiculous. There's no more rhyme or reason to which locations end up in the Showcase than if the Lindens just picked a random spot on the map, TP'd there, and added wherever they landed to an appropriate subcategory.

The so-called "little guys", at least to me, seem just as likely to make it as the "big guys". Whatever those terms are supposed to mean.

What concensus, and what view? The last time this was discussed, the majority were against the showcase including commercial places. I don't think that's changed at all.

FWIW, I think I'd prefer if Showcase didn't include commercial venues. It just seems to put Lindens in the direct line of fire for accusations of favoritism, with every prospect for High Drama to ensue. On the other hand, LL has every reason to highlight the commercial vitality of SL, such as it is.

On the blog comment, yeah, even an analogy to anti-trust is flawed; making actual legalistic noises is absurd and overblown. But we all say something foolish once in a while.

The general consensus is that the legal aspect of the OP is off base.

I should have clarified to say the "consensus in this thread", and as Cristalle said, on the legal aspect of the post. Nebulous posting on my part.

The argument, though, is that the presence of venues such as the showcase makes it much harder for newer businesses to become proven, because the showcased businesses take up the demand.

In RL most new businesses accept the cost of having to compete with existing big businesses on marketing costs, etc. and have to raise investment to deal with it. On SL, though, people are less prepared to do that. While it's true that many of the successful businesses now are "rags-to-riches" stories, they usually didn't have to compete with the rich while they were still in their rags. The next generation do, and that's problematic.

I'm over there right now, it's lovely, wonderfully done. I especially enjoyed walking across the bridge to the shopping area and being accosted by the Giant, Penis Ad. *Not to be confused with a Giant Penis, Ad.

But unlike nespapers, LL tends to fete stores owned by Linden alts, mentors, friends of lindens and OLD 'name' players(who really do not need the boost). New and or unknown players need not apply. A rather despicable practice, IMO, and they should stick to 'non-profits' unless there is some way that EVERY legit business has a shot at it.

Proof or are you just talking?

Well thankfully there'll always be people like you around who are willing to go against the flow. People that will keep LL honest and maybe even make it a liability for store owners to be listed on the showcase.

Newcomers will shop at the showcase stores, oldbies will shop at the more obscure and cool places. That is until the obscure places hit the Showcase then it's "ewww!".

Ah balance!

Its an urban legend that LL tends to fete buisnesses ran by Linden alts, mentors, friends of Lindens, and oldbies. However, like many urban legends, there is a grain of truth to it.

If you've been around the block a while, done a fair share of 'Networking', or both... your buisness is going to have a leg up. Period. The same holds true for buisnesses in RL. Experienced buisnesses tend to be more successful than inexperienced buisnesses - and Networking (strategically meeting people who are in a position to help you) is something any savvy buisness person should do... both in SL and RL.

Considering that there's little value for Linden in highlighting less-successful buisnesses (Remember, Showcase aint about us, its about promoting Second Life!) - it seems only natural to me that those same people they showcase as successful are the same people who may have been around a while - or done their dilligance networking. Those aren't prerequesites of course, but they certainly increase ones chances of success.

Save for the very early days of Second Life, when our world was more like a tiny village, I don't believe Linden has ever made any sort of conscious, calculated effort to 'fete' buisnesses of people only because they like them. If anything, they've gone out of their way in many cases to do just the opposite.

QFT.

QFT as well. The quoted post shows an incredible ignorance of the law and a painful lack of common sense. She's just wrong in every possible way.

There is one positive thing that came of the post, though. "I would suggest you clamp down on “ideas”... " Is now my favorite quote.

I'm not talking about Ann's OP post, i'm talking in general. The lady is very smart!

To be honest, whenever i see the words like "attorney, lawyer, legal, copyright, court case, civil case etc etc"......i mentally switch off! It all ends up being hot air and posturing. The reality of operating in this micro economy is that 99% of these incidences the potential awards don't match the legal costs. Look at all the people that have lost 100's and times 1000's USD through land bots, gambling, banks, stock exchanges and any other type of scams.....not to mention content theft. How many ever reached a court room?

In all this time, I can only remember Stroker S vs Rase Kenzo (respect to S.S!) and Mark Bragg vs Linden Labs going legal! All this hoohah regarding Minnu Palen skins, will end up in the same place....the waste bin!

shit- i realise i went way off topic!

See what happens to my brain when i have to read legal jargon!

I don't think commercial activities should be included in the "Showcase" tab, and if it must....then they should rotatie the selection on a weekly or monthly basis or soemthing feasible.

She sure doesn't look smart from that OP. She might be able to write nicely, but the content of her post is pure hogwash. She hasn't read the laws, or if she has, she lacks the mental ability to put them in context. I suppose I could tell you it's perfectly legal to sell heroin to schoolkids, and I could use some nice long words and sound very academic, but I would be totally wrong.

You are entirely correct, however, in that the vast majority of problems in SL will never see a courtroom because the numbers at stake are far too small. Thousands of dollars is a LOT to lose in SL, and a pittance in RL terms. If someone came to me and wanted me to sue over thousands of dollars, I wouldn't be able to help them. You're $2,000 into the case by the time I draft the paperwork and get everything filed and served, and that's for the simplest of cases. A full blown trial with expert witnesses and a jury is going to cost between $30,000 and $50,000, and that's just for a chance of winning a judgment that you may not ever be able to collect on.

Second Life lawsuits are just not ever going to be worth it except in incredibly are cases.

I understood it that way.

Trout. i'm thankful that you put things into perspective with approx costs.......next time i have to read legal,libel,slander,copyright,content theft.....yadda yadda. I will simply showcase your above message....and hopefully that will snuff out any posturing!

THANK YOU, ANN!

Get the stores out of Showcase!

It isn't exactly brain surgery to figure out the various reasons why that's a bad idea.

coco

And that is what I'm talking about. "Back in the day when there was no competition, those big guys got a huge advantage over me!"

Well back in the day those who got ahead did not get there with that attitude. They created what they could create using the knowledge they had and experiecne they gained. They made t-shirts, skirts, clothes of all kind. They stayed ahead by advancing with the times.....they made prim items, scripted items, photo sourced things. Then comes along flexible prims.......they took that and ran with it (again). Sculpties.....same thing. See where I'm going?

You ain't never going to hit the big time making the same t-shirts someone else has been making for 5 years longer than you. When I go shopping I see almost identical items for sale......most of the time. And I don't usually purchase them either but if want one I gravitate to the proven since I know they have the experience to make them the best they can be made. That does not mean that the "little guy" can't make or does not make a better t-shirt, it just means if I'm going to spend my lindens on something I want to get what I want without wondering if it really is as good as I prefer. The "little guys" have to think out of the box........do something no one else is doing (or nearly no one else is doing). And the ones who do that wind up pulling up into the big boys crowd.

It's pure and simple whinning to me.

There is this notion that we have no interest in this Showcase, or any RIGHT to have an interest, because LL is simply trying to showcase cool things in SL to the residents.

Well, we ARE residents!

And those who have stores will lose money from this, while those who have stores which are chosen by the Lindens will gain incredible sales from it.

Very simple, very straightforward: Get picked, get rich.

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So, why the heck is showcasing for-profit businesses so important? So important that LL simply must tell residents where we should shop?

Why is that so important that it has to be done, even if it lines the pockets of the chosen, while squeezing out others in the same business?

Well, it's not that important. In fact, it's not even necessary. The Showcase can exist - and be filled - with non-profit places to go, sights to see, and things to learn from, and that is how it should be.

The rule would be: If your parcel is to be on Showcase, it must not include items or services for sale. If you have such items, put them on a different parcel - even if it is next door. Simple.

So where would hair shops go then? Well, they wouldn't go on the Showcase at all, because they exist only to sell hair! Nothing particularly cool to see or do there - just things to buy!

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LL has no business deciding which stores are going to profit at the expense of others, and telling people to go to those stores.

Now, if the Lindens want to be quoted in articles on their personal interviews, or go on talk shows, or whatever, and talk about some businesses they like, that wouldn't be as bad.

But it is US they are doing this to! Us, in OUR environment. Literally taking over a Search tab to tell people which hair and fashion stores they should go to!

Grabbing the interface and blaring to everyone, "Hey, buy your hair at THIS shop!"

Highjacking Search in order to provide free advertising for those stores "anointed" is not something the Lindens should be doing.

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This is truly meddling in commerce, and results in literally giving profits to some residents at the expense of others, whether or NOT these residents are buddies, etc.

And how do we know which of these businesses are run by Linden alts? Surely those are eliminated from consideration?

But if they weren't, would you mind? Or would you say it is the Lindens' right to do that, and to promote their friends?

Of course, I know it is their right. But it is not RIGHT.

Neither is any Showcase where they pick the stores they want to succeed, however impartial they may try to be. Because that is what they will be doing.

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And while we are on the topic, what is this business with H&R Block?

You mean to tell me that the Lindens just oh-so-impartially pick which GIGANTIC, REAL-WORLD businesses they are going to promote and give free advertising to? And not others? Just because they like them?

And the other gigantic, real-world businesses are going to stand still for it?

A giant promotion that is only conferred by arbitrary Linden decision? No way to purchase it?

(Or - is it part of the package deal these companies are getting? "We will showcase you if you come."

I don't think the big real-world businesses are going to stand for that sort of blatant picking and choosing which of them will be favored.

And neither should we.

coco

Wasn't Linden Lab considering purchasing clothing from a select bunch of content creators in order to improve the newbie avatar?. Perhaps the Showcase is a simpler alternative?.

If you want Linden Labs to provide a better service, lawsuits are not the mechanism.

The mechanisms are (1) not spending your money on the product (2) informing Linden Labs's potential customers about the problems with their product.

It's not true that Linden Labs can do whatever it wants with Second Life with legal impunity. At least for U.S. citizens, if you think that Linden Labs has violated a law, you can always start by reporting it to your state's Attorney General. If you think that you have a civil complaint, you can always pay a licensed attorney for a brief consultation to discuss the merits of the case.

Here's a quick-and-dirty rule, though. If whatever Linden Labs has done is not enough to motivate you to take the time to contact your Attorney General, or pay for a legal consultation, there's probably no viable legal action against Linden Labs for that particular act.

Everyone who wants Linden Labs to improve Second Life would do will to stop spending too much time worrying about law enforcement, and spend more time thinking about what they can do as consumers. Consumers in a capitalist society are able to wield a great deal of power, with a little effort and organization.

In regards to the showroom and search as well: Look into lawsuits that were filed against google

You will discover that as a private corporation they are not required to include your place in either, one that comes to mind was kindercare (or some such) that sued after being delisted.

As it stands none know what algorithm or formulas if any are used for the showcase picks.

It's very reasonable to expect business and social locations to show up as they are showcasing various places on the grid (which includes a wide selection of profit and non-profit oriented places)

It allows for showcasing corporate locations where companies have created in-world sites for clients and the curious to visit

It allows for showcasing interesting locations where people have built odd or interesting things

It allows for them to showcase the stores of builders and the various products they make so people can see a bit of the diversity of the in world stores (and lets face it, people shop around! Do you buy a hair at the first store in search, or hit a couple and see what is there... and ask someone with a hair you like where they got it)