Content Creator Union

Well this is very true. I am certainly not shy of putting my money where my mouth is for things I feel strongly about, but I am also in a position where any actions I take would have consequences for not only 250 residents, but their partners, friends etc who also use the land.

To be honest I am more trying to make a point than try to get involved, my time is pretty much tied up at the moment. I am just pointing out that this content creator v land owner thing that comes up all too often is probably not hugely disliked by LL.

Well, I wasn't thinking of it at ALL as a content creator vs land owner type thing, even if that may have been the inspiration for the idea.

Besides, there are people who do both.

But I HAVE often thought that it would be great if we had a more powerful, combined voice for getting attention to the things content creators could use most. Like the content backup someone mentioned (which doesn't much matter to me) and something that will cut roofs (which matters a lot to me!).

And getting various ridiculous bugs fixed. Since 1.6 several building things take lots longer to do, for instance, cause you have to keep backing out of that section of edit and back into it again. (Probably a feature, not a bug, lol.)

coco

I'm on the fence.

I'm also not big on sharing the cost in anything, unless it was something I felt strongly about. I don't personally feel slighted by any one thing -- forming a union is taking a precaution; it's thinking defensively. We're all enrepreneurs here, and by that token, are mostly uninclined to work together using one voice. A union would mean one demanding job for one very determined person who is willing to kick down the door and drag our lazy asses together to change some rule or some injustice that may or may not be perceived as bad, and using our money to do it.

So: it's hard to say. Could do some good, could be useless. I'll hang around and see.

Now, Hiro, cut the crap.

We all know that is a farting dog, whose flatus causes the preview grid to lag the main grid. Who is going to unite around such a creature?

Another great point. I really hope a Content Creator Union will not be purely defined by opposition to landowners. In the case of reparations, for example, this union would never want to TAKE AWAY the reparations for telehub landowners. Instead, telehub reparations serve as a precedent upon which we would launch our own efforts to recoup our losses.

While taking away telehub reparations would eliminate the precedent and destroy our case, it better serves content creators if the reparations remain so that we have a foot-hold for our own efforts.

ooo so now you're trying to ensure those with flatulence problems can not get involved! You....you....you fartist!

I still love you but my love may involve more spanking now.

I am all for special interest lobbying groups. It is the best way to influence and put some pressure on the government.

Just kind of reposting something I put up earlier today, heh.

Now see, personally think alot of things in $L would benefit from 'unions' and the like. Especially as it seems Linden Labs keeps pulling more and more of their in house staff away from tending things in world. Lesse, Event $upport? Check. Developers Incentive, hmm...check. Forum $upport? Hmm, deffinately a check there unless you're counting the generic responses that don't answer much of anything. But, suppose they have to arrange priorities, and they really do need those $taffers on the important task of counting money.

So, in lieu of Linden support on various things, rather think it would be an interesting project to tend alot of these things in a content provider run system. Make stuff? Band together and rail away next time you get some of the myriad glitches that screw off your sales line. Or hey, band together and run the guy who's making near duplicates of whatever designs people are currently selling. Collective bargaining power and ad power is a great thing. Club owners? Band together and set common grounds in the new DIless world. General event guidelines, 'cover charges', you name it. Alot of things can be accomplished with the right organization.

And then, $L can truly be the 'digital country' they mention now and then. As we band together and rise up against our Linden overlords! And now that I've made my union spiel, which yeah wrong forum I know lol. But now, I humbly wait for the Linden Cosa Nostra to Hoffa me beneath Candlestick Park.


Today's episode of Linden Lane has been brought to you by the letter $.

Count me in.

I really like the idea of joining forces in terms of affecting change - addressing bugs, LSL changes, inventory loss, etc. that would more specifically effect content creators. Before I would join, I would have to see who the public spokesperson is and what kind of organization this would turn out to be. The populace can turn on you in a red hot second if you slip up publically (stakeholders v. tourists, anyone?) and to me, giving my support to such a union would essentially mean that I'm giving my support to the people in charge of the union.

Do project development teams count as content creators?

Although I have created a few things, nothing as nice as other's have available.

I think it would be a great idea for all the established creators to form a union. Then, as Aimee suggested, go on strike to get what you want from LL. I see Aimee's idea thru her eyes...now let's look at it thru mine...

I enjoy helping folks that are new, creative and talented, get a start in here. I provide a free mall for them and do what I can to help them out. I also shop a lot from the established creators out there...

But I would encourage you all to strike! Give the not so established folks a chance to be noticed! You'll see that you will leave a hole in SL for only a short time...it will be filled...and quickly.

I do see how the union "might" be helpful to the creators, but I also think that the day of the union is over. There are so many other ways to get information out to the masses...

I agree that we need organizations to form and help make policy, but unions are not the answer...As Cristiano stated, many will join but only a few will work the union...just like RL.

I hope you will all find a way to come together and make your voices heard...you are an important part of my SL experience and I am also tired of only the land owner's bending the ear of the Lindens...Good luck in whatever it is you do...

Strike! Strike! Strike!

While I think that this could be potentially a good idea, I doubt that it would work. Unions started out to be something good, but have snowballed into something terrible.

For instance, this new years eve in London instead of the tube being open and free all night long, there is a strike and will be CLOSED for 24 hours. Many people come into the city for the holiday. Most people go out. The bus service can not handle the mass amounts that will be out. Who is this hurting? The general public.

Ok ok. SL would never suffer from a content creators strike. Or any strike for that matter. But *if* you could get a few people to go on strike, many would not. Is everyone able to get into this? Even the ones that resell freebies? They won't strike. The problem is is that a lot people are so centered around the cash that they wouldn't ever strike.

Would only a few people striking actually make any sort of difference? For some reason, I doubt it.

Yes many things need to change. Personally I wish that they would crack down on people not actually making the things they sell, but I know they never will no matter how much we fight.

Nah, pass - I've never had a problem getting points/issues/addressed, and I think 99% of the time I've gotten back fair and honest information.
Most things that have come to pass decisionwise I've more or less seen the reasons for after looking at the 'big picture' (doesn't mean I like them - or always agree with them , but eventually see why things come to pass).

So having a union - just like the other special interest groups I saw form - doesn't really give me anything in return.. those that want to, knock yoruselves out.

Sorry - but my time in SL is limited and fairly precious and I really don't want to waste it running around to meetings and cutting through political red tape. Been there, seen that, and in the end very little got done.

If this union were to form, newer / less established content creators would be very welcome and encouraged to join. As it stands now, less established content creators have virtually no voice at all. I would like to see well known content creators standing shoulder to shoulder with these newer folks and lending their voice to help them. Of course it would mean newer folks would have to strike too.

The choice would be up to the individual. If it was more beneficial to NOT be a member of this Union, then the Union has no right to survive. I am hoping it will be benficial to ALL content creators.

Thanks for your support!!

Sounds like fair trade to me

I'd hope they wouldn't be in any 'content creators union' - maybe they should form a 'scumsucking parasitic leech bastard' union.

How would a strike in SL be executed? All content which is for sale would be taken back into inventory? I assume vendor and mall space rentalswould cease. Would shop land which is owned be sold or would LL receive tier payments during the strike?

The idea does have a very John Galt stopping the motor of the world appeal to it (even if that's not at all what would happen). I'm a sucker for Ayn Rand I think you're absolutely right though.

Thats an easy one to answer - Yes.. because they'll just bill your credit card.
And if you put a stop on that - they'll reclaim your land - and rightfully so.

Also why shouldn't they? Your paying for a service whether you use it or not is your choice - choosing to sit and do nothing doesn't change the fact you're renting 'space' from them.

LOL - union isn't even formed and scab advocacy has begun talk about ahead of the curve! THAT'S EFFICIENCY!

I see a number of practical problems with your proposal.

How do you define a "content creator"? Is it based on how people make their money in SL? If so, what's the cut-off point? Can Prokofy Neva rez a prim and sell it to me for 1L$ and thus be a content creator? Would he then be welcome in your proposed union? Or would you have to require a certain percentage of someone's income to come from sales of content? And if did that, how would you enforce or audit such a requirement?

On the other hand, if being "content creator" is based self-identification, then anyone who wants in, is in. You could easily see such a union taken over by people who's interests run counter to those that you believe content creators share.

And how do you define "content"? You've already had someone ask if renting land is content. What about the various SL service industries? Is creating and running events considered content? Financial services? Resalers? Club owners? Escorts?

Even calling your organization a "union" raises a number of issues. How can you have a union made up of a group of self-employed designers, craftspeople, and contractors? Your membership almost exclusively sells to the public, rather than working for LL in an employee/employer relationship. How do you collect dues? And if you are a union, do you expect to make membership compulsorily (as is the case in states without "right-to-work" laws)? If you do, get ready for the mother of all sh*tstorms.

How would you manage this organization? As a SL group? The SL group system is fatally flawed. Consider the example of a recent attempt by landowners to create a similar organization as a SL group.

To be honest, I can't think of a Linden infraction that would result in a Content Creator strike. We have been delt some losses but I haven't seen anything THAT bad ... YET. But the "strike" option should always be available and this is how I think it would be executed:

1. All content creators would close off / hide / inventory their creations. For example, Midnight City (and island sim) would forbid entry. Mainland attractions would simply be inventoried leaving bare land behind.

2. All sale items would be removed. The boxes MAY be left behind with a notice "item not for sale in protest of..." but you wouldn't be able to buy anything.

3. Third party server products would shut down. So sites like SL Universe and Snapzilla would be replaced with a notice of grievances.

4. Services would cease. Custom building, club events...who knows, maybe TRINGO events would stop!

5. The timing of the strike would be selected to generate the most impact. For example, if Second Life is featured on the six o'clock news, every effort would be made to ensure the rush of new visitors find only a barren wasteland.

As I said, this is the nuclear option. Also, we would never even attempt this kind of action without widespread support. The worst case scenario would be if a strike hurt the content creators MORE than Linden Lab. We would never allow that to happen.

I love ya Aimee, but I can't jump on ths band wagon. The causual players are told "you must a get a job to participate in SL, and the opportunities for success are open to all with hard work and determination. well I gotta say the same about land barony: work hard and spend enough RL cash and you too can be anshe chung. Its a free market and maybe someone can do it better than she did, thats competition.

Of course I am vehemently opposed to the buy back of telehub land. In a society where asking for a small increase in stipened has branded my a communist lazy welfare inciter, I cannot see the buy back as anything but a hand out to an ailing group that lost thier edge.
Besides my guess is that handful of content creators is every bit as influential with the lindens as anshe chung,

Its just that from an administrative stand point Real-estate issues are easier to deal with than the issues affecting content creation. YOu can throw a bit of money at them , and land barons will shut up, whereas most of the issue sfacing content creators are not so simple.

A union is a lot of obligations beyond the usualand I am busy enough in SL without worrying about stikes and such.

I'm trying to evaluate the effectiveness of a strike action in SL. The targetted company or organization or company needs to suffer a financial loss for the strike to be effective. Content creators will sacrifice their earnings so that LL will experience what? Unless this brings about a resultant downsizing and significant loss of tier, how will this effect LL?