End or Fix First Land

So they would get some money and there would not be any land allocated for them and no new sims made with land set aside for new users, its that right?

How does the current system harm you.

And for the record, I was not labeling all new resis stupid, just the ones selling below market value, which is stupid, unless you can't wait for it to be sold at market value.

You know, I was a "stupid new resident" once who didn't know crap about land values. I had some people help me out, and I lucked out with good land.

This attitude that residents are "stupid" for falling for scams that are running rampant is just plain bull crap. Most residents probably assume, "Well, if this is allowed, it's probably fair." - there's no part of the Second Life tutorial that explains how there's all sorts of scammers out there.

New residents aren't stupid, they're new. Do you realize how out of touch with reality you sound?

GUIDE; LAND BUYING ADVICE FOR NEW RESIDENTS
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Key words: land buying tiers renting owning

Hello and welcome to Second Life!

Here is some advice that should make your land buying experience more pleasant.

1. Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware.
2. You don't need land for Second Life to be enjoyable.
3. Owning land means you have to pay monthly fees.
4. Buy or rent.
5. Plot size matters.
6. Start with Land for the Landless first.
7. Location! Location! Location!
8. You can buy land from Linden Labs directly through the land auctions.
9. Become familiar with land prices.
10. Your Friends can help.
11. Negotiate.
12. Things change.
13. If you have a problem... ask for help.


1. CAVEAT EMPTOR - BUYER BEWARE

Buyer beware. Or at least be aware. Learn what you can about buying land, why you want it, and what you can do with it. The advice in this notecard should keep you out of most land trouble, but in the end you are responsible for your decisions.

2. YOU DON'T NEED LAND FOR SECOND LIFE TO BE ENJOYABLE

To enjoy Second Life you do not need land. Though it can make things much more enjoyable.

Owning land is best if you want to:
* Build permanent structures, like a home or business. The more land you own, the more permanent objects you can have out.
* Have a retreat for you and your freinds that's always available.
* Have more control over what can and can't be done and who can and can't be there.
* Play with the land tools. (Terraforming is a blast!)

3. OWNING LAND MEANS YOU HAVE TO PAY MONTHLY FEES

If you own any land, you will be paying a monthly land tier fee in US$. For details about this check out:
http://secondlife.com/land/index.php
http://secondlife.com/faq.php

4. BUY OR RENT

You can "own" SL land directly. If you own SL land, you will need to pay monthly tier fees to Linden Labs.

OR

You can pay for the use of land from other players on the mainland. You can also "rent" land from other players in island sims (off the mainland) which is more like ownership; you will have access to land control features. Neither of these two options require you to have land tier, so you will not need to pay tier fees to Linden Labs. For more information about renting read this notecard:

�

5. PLOT SIZE MATTERS

Avoid buying lots smaller than 512 sq.m. at first.

Considering that the smallest amount of land rights you can pay for is 512 sq.m., and that you can get 512 sq.m for cheap through the First Land program, you should only seriously consider buying a 512 sq.m. lot at first.

6. START WITH LAND FOR THE LANDLESS FIRST

Linden Labs has a program where new residents can buy 512 sq.m. for L$512. You can only do this if you have not previously owned land. More details at: http://secondlife.com/land/index.php

At L$1/sq.m. you can't beat this price, and you can eventually sell this land for a tidy profit. But before you do sell your land, learn what it is you can do with SL land. This is a great opportunity to do that.

To find first land:
1. In the SL, click the Find button at the bottom of the screen.
2. Select the Land Sales tab.
3. Select First Land from the dropdown menu.
4. Click Search.

This should list the First Land you can buy. Sometime all the first land is gone; Linden Labs adds more land regularly so you shouldn't need to wait too long for new land to show up.

7. LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!

When you finally decide to buy a new lot, go look at it. What are the neighbors like? Is it conveniently located for you? Do you like the geography? Does the sim host many events (which cause lag)? Is it close to your friends or favorite hang outs? Or what ever other considerations matter to you.

8. YOU CAN BUY LAND FROM LINDEN LABS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE LAND AUCTIONS

You can buy land directly from Linden Labs through the land auctions. Some plots available at auction will be priced in Linden Dollars (L$), and others in US dollars. The auctions are located at:
http://secondlife.com/auctions/index.php

9. BECOME FAMILIAR WITH LAND PRICES (L$/sq.m.)

Before you buy (or sell) land you really should look at the Find->Land Sales window. Look at what land prices for the rating and size you want are. Also, look at the auctions to see what land is going for there.

You should not have to buy at the highest land prices to get land you want, if you research land prices before hand.

10. YOUR FRIENDS CAN HELP

If you let your friends know you want to buy land, then they may help you find a good lot at a good deal. And it might be nice and close to your friends.

11. NEGOTIATE

The price listed is not fixed. The land owner can set the price to whatever they want. If you ask nicely, the land owner may lower the price for you.

12. THINGS CHANGE

Even after you buy your land, you will find that Second Life changes greatly from day to day. One day your neighbor is an empty lot, and the next it may be an ivory tower or an ugly box.

If you don't like what's there now, wait around, it might change to something new in a couple days.

13. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM... ASK FOR HELP

The advice in this notecard does not cover everything that can happen in a land deal. If you have a problem ask for help. Ask your friends, Live Help (help menu->Live Help...), on the forums, e-mail [email]support@secondlife.com[/email] or if worst come to worst, search for someone online with the last name "Linden". They are employees of Second Life and are there to help you.


-----------------
contributor:
- StoneSelf Karuna

Specials Thanks to:
Talen Morgan, Schwanson Schlegel, Camille Serpentine, katykiwi Moonflower, Almarea Lumiere, Darko Cellardoor, Zsinj Xevious, Cristiano Midnight, Billy Grace, Misnomer Jones, Rysidian Rubio, Planet Mars, Lisse Livingston, Traxx Hathor, Ardith Mifflin, Roberta Dalek, Juro Kothari, Alexa Hope, Merwan Marker, Iron Perth, Jillian Callahan, Pendari Lorentz


NOTECARD

GUIDE: LAND RENTING ADVICE FOR NEW RESIDENTS
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Key words: land buying tiers renting owning

Hello and welcome to Second Life!

Here is some advice that should make your land renting experience more pleasant.

1. Caveat Emptor - Renter Beware.
2. You don't need land for Second Life to be enjoyable.
3 Renting versus Owning Land
4. Land or property?
5. Mainland or island?
6. Plot size matters.
7. Location! Location! Location!
8. Your Friends can help.
9. If you have a problem... ask for help.

1. CAVET EMPTOR - RENTER BEWARE

Renter beware. Or at least be aware. Learn what you can about renting land, why you want it, and what you can do with it. The advice in this notecard should keep you out of most land trouble, but in the end you are responsible for your decisions. Renting is different from ownership - the landlord makes the rules and each landlord is different. Check what you are committing to before you pay.

2. YOU DON'T NEED LAND FOR SECOND LIFE TO BE ENJOYABLE

To enjoy Second Life you do not need land.

Renting land is best if you want to:
* Have a shop in a popular place.
* Are a basic account holder.
* Want to live in a community with rules (a zoned community).
* Want to pay in Linden$ rather than US$.
* Want to move when you want.

3. RENTING VERSUS OWNING

You can "own" SL land directly. If you own SL land, you will need to pay monthly tier fees to Linden Labs.

?

OR

You can pay for the use of land from other players on the mainland. You can also "rent" land from other players in island sims (off the mainland) which can be more like ownership; you can have access to land control features. Neither of these two options require you to have land tier, so you will not need to pay tier fees to Linden Labs. The main difference between ownership and renting island sim land is that the owner can at reclaim the land from you at anytime.

4. LAND OR PROPERTY

You can rent a bare piece of land or land that has been developed in some way. Developed land generally costs more and it may already have a house or apartment on it. If you want to build rent a bare plot of land. If you like the idea of just moving into a house then rent land with a house or apartment on. There are also many suppliers of prefab houses to choose from.

5. MAINLAND OR ISLAND

You can rent land on the mainland, or on islands with their own rules. Each island has different rules - *find out the rules before you pay*.

Some landlords will deed your land to a group of your choice. This will allow you more control such as terraforming, admit and ban lists. Some landlords may call this ownership and ask for an upfront fee (to "purchase". Some landlords don't and will deed to group for a normal weekly rent.

If a landlord calls the land owned rather than rented they may expect you to find a replacement.

Many islands are themed and have rules. You may only be able to build a house (not a shop or a club) or it may require you to build in a theme.

Some island rentals are paid in Linden$, some require US$ via paypal.

6. PLOT SIZE MATTERS

The more land you rent the more stuff you can put on it usually. With each rental you should be told clearly how many prims you have use of. With bare land it will be available in the About Land in the World Menu. Renting a house or a shop in a mall is different - clicking on the rental box will usually tell you the rules.

7. LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!

Look at the land before you rent it. For a house you may want a quiet area away from clubs and things that cause lag. For a shop you may want the opposite.

If you rent on an island and it has very busy events there is a possibility that you may not be able to access it while the sim is crowded.

Location affects rental prices - the more traffic a commercial area has the more rent you will probably have to pay. PG land is generally cheaper than Mature land.

8. YOUR FRIENDS CAN HELP

If your friends rent they may know of places nearby. Ask around.

9. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM...ASK FOR HELP

The advice in this notecard does not cover everything that can happen in a land deal. If you have a problem ask for help. Ask your friends, Live Help (help menu->Live Help...), on the forums, e-mail [email]support@secondlife.com[/email] or if worst come to worst, search for someone online with the last name "Linden". They are employees of Second Life and are there to help you.

-----------------
contributor:
-StoneSelf Karuna

Specials Thanks to:
Roberta Dalek, Pendari Lorentz

Hello? Not costing LL anything to pay stipends.

This is lined to on the client's help menu as the General Support Wiki.

The Live Help notecards at the Welcome area and elsewhere say this about land buying.

Oh, so you are only calling 50% or so of new residents stupid?

If you skip the orientation and don't use the wiki, forums and Live Help prior to making a transaction you don't fully understand, you have assumed fully the risk that you will get scammed.

Ah, that justifies the scamming, eh?

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=rationalize

ra·tion·al·ize
1. To make rational.
2. To interpret from a rational standpoint.
3. To devise self-satisfying but incorrect reasons for (one's behavior): “Many shoppers still rationalize luxury purchases as investments” (Janice Castro).

What if first land had a "no resell for xx days" ... would that slow down the land barons? Give new players a chance to find out if they want to keep or sell their land, remove some of the pressure, and give t hem some time to learn what they really should have before entering into the transaction?

How do people think that might play out?

When you print money, you devalue the money.

When you devalue the money, the economy is devalued.

The more the economy is devalued, the less people will want to develop stuff to sell because they can't make money. The less being developed, the less there is to buy, and so the economy lags more from lack of products.

The economy keeps Second Life, and consequently Linden Lab, afloat. It has to be kept healthy or both will tank. Linden Lab knows and has acknowledged this. It's time you do, too.

lol

Which is why LL have money sinks and have employed someone who's job it is to keep the economy stable; maybe that'll require reducing or removing stipends, maybe not. I don't get why people always talk like everyone emplyed at LL are complete morons...

money sinks and tweaking the economy can only go so far. We're talking an exponentially growing problem - since first land is made available to new users based on growth. No amount of money sinks as they currently exist can keep up.

This isn't about whether someone think LL are "complete morons", which, by the way, is straw man attack, replacing what I said with hyperbole. I don't appreciate you alleging that.

This is about Linden Lab being made aware of a problem. What happens in SL often is that LL does not see a problem until users step up and complain about it. That's why we have forums, bug reports, abuse reports, and voting features. I'm going to assume that Linden Lab is not fully aware or concerned with how large a problem this is, and my post (and poll) are an attempt to draw attention to it.

Personally I think the main problem w/ first land is that it's crammed together and quickly becomes a crappy mish-mash of buildings, stores, floating ad cubes, and what not all thrown together with no style or plan. Basically what i've seen quickly becomes really ugly.

I know there have been some experiments with West Haven and now Shermerville, 2 nicely laid out suburbs (not exactly my style, but at least these sims HAVE a style). What was funny about West Haven is that I, as someone who have never owned land, was unable to get any land as people who already own land in West Haven were given first dibs on all owned land in the area.

Hopefully though, the Lindens will do a bit more with Sim planning than they have inthe past.

I'm going to assume that Linden Lab is not fully aware or concerned with how large a problem this is, and my post (and poll) are an attempt to draw attention to it.

IPresumably, they are only able to do this through 'alt farming'

First land can only be bought by a $9.95 premium account. A premium account can only ever buy one plot of first land. Meaning your land baron would need to *buy* 128 premium accounts to "alt farm" a single sim's worth of first land... that's a _really_ expensive way to get land.

[...]plus of course posting in the Second Life Anwers column, [...]

It aught to be fixed or removed... fixed, preferably. Perhaps some sort of throttle preventing the sale of First Land for say 60 days or something.

-Ghoti

at 1L/m, Linden Lab is selling a sim that they normally sell for $1250US for 65000L, or about $275US.