Openspace Announcement Discussion with Jack Linden

You knew full well that people were buying openspace sims to make homes on for months now yet you continued to sell them.

You let huge amounts of people create a business (THAT HELPS YOU) and then you pull the rug out from under them.

With the world economy as bad as it is you decide to increase your prices and likely wipe out an entire business model.

I have been in SL for nearly 3 years now. I have supported you guys even while so many people complained about one thing or another. Now I see my whole business going down the tubes due to some insane price increase.

Well - this is likely the end for me. It boils down to will my (YOUR) customers accept this huge price increase (unlikely - read the Real Life news). If they bail out - I likely will too. This is really just a unbelievable way to treat your customers.

I was planning on buying one, but definately not now because the AUS$ / $USD exchange rate sucks.

The global economy is collapsing right now.

WAKE UP LINDENS

in light of this, i made something long time ago as a joke, wich would fit right into this

it is what i`ve said and has a lovers cuddle in it (old fashion poseballs)
i *can`t* post an image or exactly what it is cause the post will get deleted and most likely i`ll get a temp forum ban

it`s set for sale at 0L

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sensual%20Estate/132/155/22

yup... we are now trying to work out how to do it.. try and buy 2 cheap OS and then pay the 100US for the changeover or...
phhhhhhhhht

would be nice if there was a solution.

Shall we mourn those communities that shall end when this price change goes into effect?


Isle of Wyrms
Caledon (Do they use large numbers of OpenSpace?)
edit: "First off, Caledon has deep reserves and this won't make or break us. " - Desmond Shang

United Sailing Sims

If you know of any other large SL communities that would be negatively impacted by this change, please feel free to post here and/or drop a notecard on me in SL. (or if I made a mistake in my refrence above)

Add Cascadia.

No one is attacking you over the price increase. People are attacking you because you support it without being affected by it. If you were screwed over by LL too then I'm sorry for you, but that doesn't make it right to cheer at something that hurts a large part of the SL community.

Well, they finally did it. They're killing my business and my home. If the prices weren't insane I'd buy a "normal" sim but they are. Oh well. The 14 hours a day I put in over the last two years making things to sell... guess it's all gone.

talk to your own support center. I know at least two OS sim owners that explained to Support on the phone what exactly they were using their OS for... BEFORE they bought them...be it a garden or a small store and they were told it was more than fine! Now you accuse them of abuse when they double checked before buying? I'm embarrassed for you Jack...you should have had your PR or HR read your opening blog before posting. You have now put your SL community in the category of criminals.

Why don't you tell what us what is really behind this price increase instead of pointing fingers at innocent people? I'd be a lot more receptive of the truth than the story you are trying to put out here.

The biggest issue I am having, in addition to the obvious steep increase, is the fact that Linden Labs... and SL residents themselves are trying to make the customer "wrong."

The word "abuse" seem completely overkill. I have an OS sim and admittedly right at this moment I am probably using it for more than intended, as I have a *temporary* Halloween Haunted house set up on the sim (which people are tremendously enjoying).

But how is it "abuse" to use the *allotted* prims? And if the issue is script performance... GIVE US A METRIC to use. I am ALWAYS pulling up the Statistics bar. Normally, it's very low.

But come on.... Did the Lindens REALLY think we were ALL using these sims only for "light" use as waterways and such? Not for building, not for residential, not for business.... then WHAT THE HECK did they THINK we were using them for?

Give us a metric, it needs to be *quantifiable* not, "just don't build or live or have any traffic." Does that mean that 50 high prim yachts sailing through an OS sim would be okay, but 1 couple living on an OS sim are not??? If there was an official statement *anywhere* e.g.: "Do not go over 2.0 Total Frame Time" or something along those lines... FINE. But don't suddenly make the customer wrong, having us point fingers at "abusers". That doesn't help. Clear quantifiable data DOES.

If LL is aming at lowering the overall value of the Linden Lab corporation, well congratulations. You are well on your way to be doing that.

Many very unwise moves have been made my LL so far, but this is about to make the first place. Where are the understanding of the economic system in a virtual world?? Lost. Well find it again, or hire someone who will not drive LL to the grave. You need people that is more educated than what LL allready have - or so it seems.

I am sorry that you feel that I am not entitled to my opinion. As I have said, I feel that this will help the economy AS A WHOLE. That means for everybody.

You are entitled to your opinion but I am entitled to mine as well. Please do not keep perpetuating the lie that Chris started that I am somehow making a profit off this. I only think it will help the economy as a whole. Its not as if LL has raised the sim prices only to put the excess into my personal pocket.

I think it is funny (as in hypocritical) when people whine about censorship on the blog and yet come here and repeatedly attack anyone who has a differing opinion than the prevailing one.

But thanks for admitting that people are attacking me because my opinion varies from theirs. I already knew that. But it doesn't make it OK.

Originally Posted by Thraxis Epsilon
Shall we mourn those communities that shall end when this price change goes into effect?


Isle of Wyrms
Caledon (Do they use large numbers of OpenSpace?)
United Sailing Sims

If you know of any other large SL communities that would be negatively impacted by this change, please feel free to post here and/or drop a notecard on me in SL. (or if I made a mistake in my refrence above)




I believe Elf Spirit Lands might be affected also. They said they will have to see what is happening.

I am not attacking you; merely letting you know that I think you are wrong. Apparently you are the single salmon swimming downstream to spawn, the single deer running into the forest fire, etc. lmao Comical

Anyway, I just had a thought; maybe LL thinks this is April 1? Or a Halloween prank?

Yes i agree Snowflake....

but you forgetting one thing or many a few.... the main one is.... wait for it.... ..............HEWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOo!!! if the economy is bad... please tell me where people will be able to put money into SL?... and thing too i am little fuzzy bout...^.^; why do we want money to go in to your pocket and not our own pockets?... so i say again.... HEWWWOOO.. are we blond or is it me?? ((not saying it is bad thing for blondes as i am in love one))) =^.^=

Very good point (that certainly won't be replied to by Linden Lab, but anyway...).

The recent announcements over the last few weeks makes it - alas - a possible scenario, and if it comes to happen that certainly not gonna be a win-win strategy. The Gartner and Forrester Group(s) enthusiasm of 2007 about "corporate virtual worlds" has clearly slowed down since May 2008, advising companies for extreme caution before engagement. And well, be they right or wrong, such consulting groups are always listened to by corporate executives.

As for us, the traditional customer base, that will put an end to a world we enjoyed, either as a plain game (my case) or as a mean to round up a bit RL revenues (small business owners). The end of "your world, your imagination".

In such a perspective - though nothing is really predictable - we *might* expect a raise in regular island fees as well, as a second wave discouraging the average customer in their estates projects. Conclusion: Islands for corporations, Mainland for others.

May sound a little bit sci-fi, may be not.

I am wondering how it you feel it will help everyone? Since this extra teir isn't going back into the game and being spread around. But, going straight to Linden Labs? And people will have to raise prices of everything to make up for the losses?

Not trying to put you down for your view. But I really can't see an upside. Maybe you can enlighten on this?

Down the years I've railed at LL for its badly thought out, poorly implemented and explained decisions. I don't rail anymore, as they're just part of the SL experience these days.

I must admit it's been a couple of months since the last one (Eve Capliani I'm thinking of here) and had been wondering what their next one would be. I even thought they might have run out of major impact decisions by now.

Something like this had to happen, the island explosion since they revamped the open sim idea has adversely affected land prices inworld and I can well imagine that back office costs have gone up as there are more customers per cpu.

These days LL supposedly have business information analysts In theory they've done an impact analysis and in theory they've identified this is the best way forward to maintain happy customers and therefore turnover and therefore profit.

No, I don't believe that either, but it does sound good.

From my perspective I'm cheered at the prospect of land prices on the mainland returning to a reasonable level. Only because I want to tier down and recover some of the original costs of the land. My sympathies go out to all (apart from those who abused the use guidelines) of you who will be impacted by this.

I find it funny that people still believe LL should support its userbase. Perhaps some of you would care to cast your minds back 18+ months ago when LL openly despised us. We've only ever been useful for generating customer numbers and making these guys look like a good investment idea.

Yes, there have been token improvements since user numbers started dropping 6 months ago, but in the end we're just numbers in the marketing tool for LL. Their main interest is in the more profitable B2B and educational institutions. i.e as a communication platform rather than a 3d version of facebook.

That's the beauty of LL. Their attitude is 'if you don't like it, leave' knowing full well that most wont.

C'est la vie.

This post is ABSOLUTELY STUPID. Jack Linden is the bearer of bad news, for sure, now he certainly has NOT decided this change on his own. That is Linden Lab Executives decision.

This reeks of one thing and one thing alone - pure, unadulterated GREED. You're suffering in the financial climate too, and what do you propose to do? Bleed those loyal and good enough to pay you tier for these sims to death.

Linden Lab, you suck for this. Suck hard. It's greedy, greedy, greedy. I don't even own a sim, but an OpenSpace used to be on the cards. Now instead of getting $75USD from me, you'll be getting $0. Good business decision? I think not.

Could a Linden please arrange to meet me in-world so I can slap their face? I am a tiny, so bring your own stepladder I can use for it too.

Ah, a different game. That's a thought, too. I came to SL for fun and to meet others that wanted fun. Perhaps now that my fun has been whittled away by things like inventory theft, this OS gouge, and whatnot, I will just spend more time in Silkroad Online and drop SL as so much money wasted. Wish I could claim the hundreds I spent here on my income tax return, though. Medical expenses? Capital loss?

I see there is still no "Openspace Announcement Discussion with Jack Linden ". Perhaps someone doesn't want to show himself for fear of being pelted with rotten eggs.

I think LL has created a real crisis here.

LL should respond to Ann Otoole's questions promptly, because what she states is my impression too. I invested a great deal of the last couple of years in forging a business in SL, but was always shocked at the careless decisions that would drive my sales down overnight. And here we go again.

In case you guys didn't notice on your own economic metrics, your growth ain't what it used to be . . . oh yeah, you aren't even updating september metrics this month. Please don't do this to your users. What imbecile advised this move? It will be the worst of your bad decisions to date.

But then again, perhaps you only care what the corporations you want for partners think.

Right now I am a very scared and confused person.

I own two open space sims, next to my full island. I do not rent them to anyone, they are only 1/3 of the prims used. They are in my name etc. My islands. Period.

Does this mean I am not going to be paying a huge amout of extra tier for them?

That just doesn't seem at all fair, not at all

I have 12 open space sims that I use properly and now you are telling me I am going to have to pay more per month on them. I have always kept my open space sims open and ate the monthly cost so that the full size sims had nice ocean ways for boating etc. I have total of 27 sims. I am really feed up with Linden Labs and the way they treat us. I think all private sim owners should just abandon their sims hell with everyone. Let Linden labs sort it out with all the pissed off people. They do not care about private sim owners. Linden Labs you need to get out of the mainland land business and focus on supporting your private sim owners. You all do a terrible job as estate managers and private estate managers can do it better. You all have ruined the virtual land business single handedly and really do not deserve my buiness. Private sim owners are your long term customers and have bent over backwards to try to make a business work in SL and now can not even make ends meet. I SAY all private sim owners should pick a date like say Dec 1, 2008 12:00 pm SL time and then start to abandon sims 1 at a time ever 5 mintues until LL wakes the bleep up.

PR

Good point, Flo.