Philip's blog suggests selling developed land

Do you do most things at the cost of others in your life, Jack? Does it give you a smile to put someone in a stranglehold, forcing them to pay your asking price?





That's because land barons pay high tier, plus auctions, Donovan. End of line, on that. Maybe more people who are more ethically minded need to begin paying high tier. Then maybe we could get some things changed.

(Edited, because I'd lose anyway.)

I just want to say that I am quite pleased with the current state of affairs as it relates to real estate. If our current set of land barons did not exists, others would have stepped in to fill the positions.

Outright scammers aside, I think the people who are currently buying and selling land are doing a great job, spinning for-sale signs notwithstanding. The ones who are doing it creatively just add that much more richness to our world.

If it was legal and cheap I'm sure most plots of land for sale in RL would have large spinning signs as well.

Just a side note: people get ripped off on land deals much more often and much worse in RL than in SL.

Define "richness" ?

Bad word choice. Diversity is what I mean.

What does extortionary pricing have to do with diversity? Are you saying that high priced land plots for some reason add "spice" to SecondLife?

Dude, you really need to tier up and buy some cheap beachfront land, mark it up 1000%. You have no idea what you are talking about until you try it. There is no strangle hold, there are lots of parcels for sale. They don't have to buy it. But they do. hehe. They give me their money with a SMILE on their face. So buy some land, tier up, mark up, peace out. I wouldn't exactly say it makes me "happy". But I know I'll never be "sad" again over stolen content. Think about it. It takes hours of effort, hard work to script or build or make clothes. Fricking hard work. And you get people stealing it, copying it, bitching about it, asking for help, requiring support. You make pennies compared to what you make selling land and I have never, ever been asked a follow-up question after a land sale. 0 maintenance. Everyone really needs to try this. I find it's way more fun to sell land than it is to make stuff.

Well, at least the admission is there. What happens, Jack, when all anyone does in SL is trade land, and nobody makes anything anymore?

Maybe I should be asking that to Philip.

Philip, what happens when all anyone does in SL is trade land, and nobody builds anything anymore?

Don't you guys see any of the other parts to this equation?

Furthermore, why the hell is Linden Lab hellbent on discouraging content creation?

I thought I had dripping sarcasm last night and this morning, but the ironic and most dripping sarcasm award goes to Jack for the above post!

I see nothing in these posts, and nothing in Jack's profile, to indicate that he's being sarcastic, whatsoever.

I see -SOME- possible indication that he may be a Red Sox fan, which could be a saving grace.

But his points FOR "land barony" are correct and true, though I believe the onus is on LL to balance this with incentive for (and security of) content creation.

Everyone gets a free toe-massage?

No, Jack. Actually, at that point, land becomes worthless, the hype-driven market dies, and SL becomes non-viable. (Unless you believe that the chatroom aspect of SL can sustain it alone.)

At this point, owning SL land still has a high WDFD factor. Like having a low ICQ number.

WDFD.

Speaking as someone who has bought two houses in my life (and sold one of them), large, spinning signs in the air would not necessarily have attracted me to the houses I bought. When buying a house (and the land that comes with it), I usually do my research on neighborhoods, look for areas that suit my needs and wants, and only consider ones that fit into my price range. I use a real estate agent to help me search as well as checking in newspapers, free real estate publications and online.

People who get ripped off in RL real estate deals just don't do enough research. Or, they get "married" to the idea of buying a particular property, no matter what drawbacks there are (or what the price is). There are many things that are against the law to hide from buyers of RL real estate, and you have legal recourse if the seller doesn't disclose these issues.

I think that Lisse is doing new people a service by helping them find land and build without asking a fee. Perhaps the Lindens need to give new residents more information about land purchase and ownership in SL, and be honest about what to expect from "land barons." Perhaps Lisse needs to pitch the idea of offering land buying classes to the Lindens as a new type of instructor course.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling wha wha wha, someone code a sky is falling easter egg.. Oh wait...

No, Jack. It's got nothing to do with "crying that the sky is falling", it's got to do with the fact that if LL keeps discouraging content development, de facto or de jure, content is going to start to fucking suck.

The only thing keeping you guys rolling in it right now is the "OMG I HAVE LAND!" factor.

Not every cause and effect reaction is someone saying that "the sky is falling". But, hey, if such responses worked in high school, maybe they'll work here, too.

Jack, I believe and from what I've read is reflecting back on the known bug exploit used on one of his casino games wherein he was ripped off for a large amount of Linden's. He was advised that there was no getting his money back.

Apply that scam to the land scamming of the newbies. There is no getting your money back because there is no regulation and/or enforcement -- SL is the Wild West afterall, so buyer and end-user beware.

I'm reading that Jack is agreeing with you, Michi, but just in a darker, more sarcastic way to make his point. In other words, Jack is implying that he has turned to a "life of scam" and making huge profits of money, so who cares if anyone in SL still wants creative content -- there's money in them there mole holes called land. Every man and woman for himself/herself -- forget cooperation, content and caring about your fellow SL'ians -- charge them up the wazoo for anything -- no holds barred -- this is Wrestlemania Cage Fight at it's finest. There's no point in scripting for 12 hours to create something new and exciting when $$$$$$ is king!



I'll take your offer of a toe massage, Jack; and raise your bid to a toe job if I'm wrong.

Hm. No answer. I see a toejob in your future.

Char has already approved this. I just need to get past my own RL real estate nonsense (escrow closes on Monday, huzzah!) and then I'll start scheduling them regularly again.

When I ran Land Ownership 101 at USL, I got 20-40 people per class.

Um....

Get back on point? Or back on the right toe?

Typical, filthy, diversionary land baron tactic, Jack -- fooling the crusaders with dark humor. I'm much more friendly to land barons who have a sense of rye.

Seems to me Jack is talking about buying land and selling it to people who don't do their homework, who really don't have the patience to learn about SL before spending $30m.

Lisse is talking about doing homework to help people NOT pay sky high prices and to learn how land transactions work in SL.

Having been a REALTOR in RL doing land sales in Northern Calif. during the boom years, Beryl is exactly the type of buyer I felt most comfortable working with. Someone who took time to learn the market, do research, know about Broker Agency relationships, disclosure laws, surveys, etc.

The types of buyers I would NOT work with were those who were impulsive driven and "had to have" this or that piece of land.

Maybe I should reconsider my SL occupation goals...

I think he folded.

Jack Digeridoo
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It's funny to hear all these people who don't sell land talk about it. Everyone who posted and anti-land baron post should go out and try it. It's fun. You have no idea what you are talking about until you try it. Everyone go buy 4096m of land and jack the price. It's wild wild fun.
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I am glad you are amused. I would rather put my feet in boiling oil than do as you suggest. I have owned the same land since I started SL and the joy I get from it cannot, I think, compare to ripping other residents off.

I think people who make money in this way are totally repugnant. It goes against all my principals, but I guess you all don't have any of those.

Is this what SL is really about?

There are so many people in SL who are wonderfully creative, whether it be building or scripting or clothes making and because I can do none of those things very well, they have my total respect. And I seriously think LL should be nurturing these people, not land barons or dwellopers.

What the hell are you doing LL?

It seems like that's what it's become.




... My question exactly. I can only assume that LL has already answered it, for themselves. Lots of folks have said it. This is the "NEW BREED" of SL users. The old are obsolete.

Maybe LL is figuring it's time to run with this.

Guess what, I always tier higher than I own..... as of right now I have 13000m I dont use.... I dontate that tier that I dont use to groups actually add content to SL. I could go out and buy up land and ply on others who dont understand but I'd rather sleep well knowing in some way I help, not harm.

I don't think he was being sarcastic.

I agree Michi - it's content creation that got SL off the ground.

I sometimes feel that Phil's statements are less then helpful - causing people to think LL is going to implement a new direction when in fact it may not be the case at all.