Xstreet SL and OnRez to Join Linden Lab!

You don't actually expect us to be happy/excited about this, do you? I mean, you've basically taken away all of our options in one fell swoop. And, given what a struggle it's been just to keep the grid online, is this really the best time to be expanding your operations anyway?

Well, I know nothing we say is going to make a difference, but could you at least consider porting OnRez's UI/search engine to xStreetSL? It's much sleeker and, IMO, easier to use.

Because the one on SLX actually works?

YES THIS ANYONE?????

I hope the cashing out will not take as long as it does via the main second life site. Also, I am leary about support tickets through LL because it takes so long to get any kind of reply. Thirdly, I'm concerned about new imposed fees or taxes on the service that we didn't have before.

What say you to these things?

No, not really a monopoly. They just made a good business deal and I am quite certain that Electric Sheep Company and Virtuatrade both did quite well from this acquisition.

They are obviously not out to buy all the third party site because this rather new one still exists:

http://www.rezzor.com

Agreed!

I am disturbed that you consider the fact that LL does not offer a vendor a "hole" in your services. If you supply a vendor, isn't that the first step AWAY from user created content? What's next? I specialize in security systems, am I on your radar as the next industry to be squashed?

I thought LL was to provide the world, and we were to provide the content.

This seems like a very slippery slope to me.

So many articulate replies. So many thoughtful statements.

The only thing that the SL has invested in this thread is server space on the forums website.

37 pages of writing from the population and still no response ! wow

Xstreet SL and OnRez to Join Linden Lab ? Is that REALLY it?

Xstreet SL and OnRez takes an offer that no one would refuse. Better headline ?

I guess I feel opposite about this Gabriel ... I like the XSL interface better - so much easier to search for things. And, placing items for sale is much easier, allowing for larger pictures of items to be sold (allowing the consumer to see detail better), and on and on ... Sometimes we get used to certain interfaces ... give the XSL interface a try - you might find you like it better - the search engine is great too. =)

I use both interfaces, by the way (but not with this posting avatar!).

So the SLX staff forms a great team with the Lindens, since they are the same

You call doing selective banning because people do not agree with the staff's opinions on things such as U.S. bashing.... "Working". Uuuuuummm yeah. Like I said... Thank GOD LL made this move. Clean things up.

Things I like about the ONrez format:
Ease of money transfer
Specific catagories of items for purchase
Subcatagories that are easily accesable
An obvious way to see the cost of an item (free) (up to 100) (100+)
Ability to easily purchase stuff for friends and alts even if they don't have an account

Things I like about Xstreet format:
Prim content is usually shown for items
There are more pictures of items usually and they are well enlarged as needed.

Do we see a problem here?

I've been using both systems extensively, and strictly as a buyer. Things I'd like to see, in order of importance:

1. I would REALLY REALLY like to be able to sort by permissions, and I would like the permissions information to be entered in a clear and consistent way for each item. On some interfaces, I see that the vendor was allowed to write "see description," and non-searchable stuff like that. On other interfaces (this happens a lot in world -- the vendors seem to be inflicting this on themselves), I look at stars and boxes and other googaws and I don't know which color means what.

2. I'd like for it to be easier to give you money(!) so that I can buy something. I have Lindens in my SL account and to transfer them to xstreet or onrez I have to go through a a remarkable number of clicks and groans and eye rolls no matter how I do it. My great hope is that such a transfer might not even be necessary from now on, since Linden controls the currency. That would be a great win!

3. I want to be able to gift an item to any avatar, even if the avatar is not registered with the xstreet/onrez system. I assume and hope that you will be in a position to make this possible, since it will all be run by Linden anyway.

4. When I display freebies only ($0L or $1L) or sort by price (lowest to highest), I would like to be able to exclude DEMOS. I think people who put out freebies should be given a pat on the back for making this stuff for free, making it available to everyone, and enriching the whole environment for all of us. I'm tired of wading through tons and tons of other peoples' marketing, when I'm not going to buy any of that stuff anyway, and it just makes me mad. I do buy a lot of stuff and pay plenty for it, but when I'm searching for freebies, I want to see just freebies.

The SLX staff is NOT employees of Linden Labs. Not sure why you would think they are the same but one way to tell they are not... Go visit the Street forum then go visit the LL forum.

Enough said.

First, some of us (like me) prefer the flat web-based browsing experience (for shopping) to the 3D shopping experience. I can much more quickly see and compare alternatives. Other people prefer to walk through stores and see how products are placed and presented. Both models are useful. It's silly to think that one trumps the other.

Second, given that LL bought and shut down the only competition, what makes you think that they'll brook any new competition?

Not being able to cash out us$ as quickly might be the main disadvantage in this merging process..
But Having all SL residents integrated in SLX and onrez, means no need to register, Personally i think that means more sales, with the "new" gifting service

That is assuming that no major changes will be made on those websites, & no additional fees will be forced on merchants

Bah. Linden Lab reaches out in a Microsoftian move to make their empire more of a monopoly, crushing services in the process. As one person said, why bother building a shop anymore? Just slap an Xstreet vendor box on a tiny parcel and call it done.

I wonder what effect this will have on illegitimate content on Xstreet? It is a widely known fact that there is a LOT of illegal/stolen product on Xstreet that is in violation of creators IP rights. If you looks for Skins for avatars (for example), you can be assured that at least 30% of what is listed is ripped from in world and resold illegally. There was a time a couple months back when the creator of the Abyss skins for men was finding stolen instances of the Abyss skins on SLX EVERY WEEK and was constantly filing DMCA. Since LL has a policy for DMCA issues, I wonder if they will clean up Xstreet? I bet not.

Good luck with that, folks.

I would suggest going back to "SL Exchange" title if you want to make the best use of their service.

Not many people were happy with the stupid legal forced title change because your lawyers got hasty about it.



However, Linden Lab still need to address copybot issue. Using TOS agreement won't stop them from using it. Idiots always be an idiot, thieves always be thieves.

If Linden Lab want to take control of their marketing ground... that's fine, but it's still their duty to clean up their bedroom, not just move few things around.

Get rid of copybot already. Stop with the open source development... but I can see that's a bit too late now. Better start recoding server and client code after LL.net goes live.

Bingo.

Hate to correct you on this but sadly.. part of the deal seems to be that part of the staff are now Lindens, including Apoth. I can understand why they would take Apoth on with this skills. However, I think if they really knew the dark ugly truths of some of the staff (I don't mean all) they would reconsider. Even Apoth is not exactly a nice person but he is very talented and skilled. Who knows, maybe now he does not have the stress of owning SLX, he will be a nicer guy. I think his biggest problem is that he listened to Tigress too much.

I don't think LL is doing this for their health.

I think the exciting new ways and opportunities mean they are going to sell us exciting new advertising.

yep.. best idea..

use the old name..

Well, it's a real inconvenience for me.

I list more on onRez simply because some categories were not on XStreet and trying to find similar items got me nothing with one and results with the other.

That and OnRez' ease in setting up vendors. I have maybe one box for Street and about 6 for OnRez and all my vendors. No I'm not very happy at all.

Also there's a serious misconception about OnRez. While it might not yield direct sales for some (I sold more with them than XStreet), its ease of locating items have given people a start, then they go inworld to purchase after seeing the item first hand. I do this as well.

So all in all in general OnRez has been underestimated and personally I am stuck with relisting everything with the not-as-user-friendly site and use completely new vendors.

I agree with others - change XStreetSL (which sounds like some place in a red light district) back to SL Exchange.

I saw this email too I am bit annoyed there reason why I don't want to be merchant at Xstreet. bit overwhelmed by the entire thing. If I have to change anything I guess I just won't bother. It was hard enough for me to set things up at onrez

I don't know how many others are using their own shopping websites, but I hope they start to become a lot more common now. I do know that I am looking into creating one of my own for my customers. I already have the web interface with product listings, I just need to be able to send the products in-world via the web.