Has the exchange rate effected your creative efforts?

Although I've never really been in it for the money, I find that I have been putting less and less effort into building and scripting now that the exchange rate has gone to hell in a hand basket. So I got to wondering if this has effected anyone else. Sounds like time for a poll!

Have you been putting less effort into creating content now that the exchange rate has gone down?

Shouldn't this be a poll?

Anyway - no, I would be putting less and less effort into building and scripting anyway, even if the exachange rate was still 250.

Why is that?

Well the optimistic answer would be - because my skills have increased so much that it doesn't take a lot of effort to script or build something

In reality, working around the countless bugs and limitations gets more and more tiresome and on most days I don't even bother and just go and chat with people or something.

Your poll is based on the assumption that content creators are making less money than say 6 months ago when the value of the Linden was stronger. I think that is a fallacy. I'm guessing that most content creators make more money (both in Lindens and in terms of RL USD) than they did 6 months ago or 12 months ago. I'm sure there are a few who don't, but if they are actively creating new content and making an effort to market it, I would guess that most have a much better gross sales than they did 6 months ago.

The value of the linden doesn't really bother me as i design for myself first and also for my own entertainment.

What does worry me however is texture theft which I see is rife thoughout SL and nothing is done about it - not because of financial loss, but because of the effort put in.

That would be the one single thing to make me not bother.

No, more, although for some odd reason, you left that off your list of options. You've missed the obvious option, "Yes, I'm putting more into it to make up the difference."

If each L$ is worth less, you need to make more of them to gain as much. So, yes, it does affect my efforts: they've increased.

Good grief, a lot of people here would make extremely lousy businesspeople in RL. Do you close your doors at every economic downturn? Or do you work harder to make up the difference?

Guess which strategy successful businesses use?

And guess what poor businesses blame when they go out of business? "The economy." Everyone is responsible for their own success, but no one is responsible for their own failures. Ever notice that? Hmmm...

Frankly, the value of L has nothing to do with my creativity.. it's the bugs and their work-arounds that dampen it considerably. I usually make for myself, first, and then put it up for sell, because I can

So, the L has very little to do with it. *shrug*

I'm the same way... I make for myself and after acumulating a bunch of stuff I end up putting it up for sale.

Economy? Well, it does suck the exchange rate is so bad but I still am able to cover my Tier with some left over so I am not really concerned at the moment.

*huggles*
Savonah Madonna

That's right, Julia! I feel exactly like that and was looking for that poll option. I've been making more things, putting in more effort and honing my skills. I haven't raised my prices either, and business is booming! Now that the $L is down a bit since last year, it's like all my products are on a 25% discount and the customers are snapping up the bargains. I can't wait to make more stuff for people to purchase and enjoy.

If I sat around all day and calculated how much money I am theoretically "losing" because the $L value was down from a year ago, I'd never get anything done. Stop worrying and start working to make up the difference! Or don't make anything so I won't have to compete with you.

The drop in $L value mainly made it more difficult for me to negotiate a good price for comissions. If I charge someone $3,000L for something now, they still look at it in the last-year-exchange-rate terms. It's mostly a problem of customer's $L to $US disconnect for me, rather than the actual drop in $L value.(i.e. people don't see the US value of $L)

The drop in $L value mainly made it more difficult for me to negotiate a good price for comissions. If I charge someone $3,000L for something now, they still look at it in the last-year-exchange-rate terms. It's mostly a problem of the $L to $US disconnect for me, rather than the actual drop in $L value.(i.e. people don't see the US value of $L)

Hmmm...that is a good point. Now that I think about it, that's prob more the reason for me than the exchange rate. Like with scripting, I was really starting to get into LSL when I heard rumors that they were going to nuke LSL soon and replace it with a new scripting lang. Why bother putting in all that effort to learn LSL if they are going to replace it? So I stopped. Though I started to have withdrawal symptoms and seem to be getting back into it anyway.

With the number of updates lately I haven't even been trying to build at all, it's just too annoying.

I guess the reason I didn't think to put a “I am working even harder” option is that I really don't build for the money, so that didn't occur to me. I build for fun, and then end up selling the stuff I make, more or less for fun. I don't really think of it as a business. Nice to hear the real business people aren't letting it get them down. It does make sense though that with the increase in population sales should be up.

I have always made my designs for the shear joy of it. and have never thought i would sell much because i never thought that my items were good enough. but people seem to like what i make because I sell quite a bit of my designs every day. That is if people buying my items is an indication of them liking it.

so for me the money is defiantly secondary for sure.

Vares-

Very nice poll... thanks! =)

(for the record, I was 'meh'. I've noticed more impact due to dwell income vanishing. Everything else seems mostly on par, more sales, less value for them, it's a wash on that side.)

I'm with Julia. I've stepped up my efforts which tends to mean putting in more hours, which in turn means giving up other things. It's an issue.

But right now since I'm so very much enjoying that feeling of walking into a place and seeing someone walk past me wearing something I made.... plus enjoying that little "chiching" sound when someone buys something and I know thats more $ in my bank.... I'm ok with the trade off.

But above and beyond pride and profit, what I love the most are the kinds of conversations like the one I had just yesterday with a customer. She told me how much she really liked a white dress I made (which made me all happy heh) and wondered if I made it in copper. I didn't but we spent ten minutes just brainstorming ideas together. Not only do I now have a dress in copper, she gets all the credit for it and gets to make some money off it herself (hopefully) plus I met another creative person. Thats where the real fun is. People over profit.

It should be "affected", not "effected".