Cabinhead Closure

That, of course, is incompetence.

Schwanson, with all due respect, this is a totally different impression you're giving now than your first post. Four out of your five points pointed the blame at LL, now you're saying that actually it's about your bottom line. Either way, it's your call and you are 100% entitled to do what you like, but I guess I feel you tried to make the announcement easier by suggesting that the project end was primarily because of what LL have done or are going to do - which now appears not to be true.

You pretty much created that drama yourself - sorry.

I should add that I have no intentions of leaving SL, it is truly an amazing world full of amazing people. (including the LL staff)

I am not discontinuing my business ventures here, most of which require large tier. The decision was made to not increase my tier and investment further, partially due to yet another negative customer service experience.

I am proceeding with extreme caution. Unfortunately caution required me to make a very difficult decision that will hopefully allow me to continue my SL experience.

I was willing to pay for this project, np. It is a tough pill to swallow however, when the company you are paying for such a project is not willing to help in the simplest of matters, even if unrelated to the project itself. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

They took the sugar coating off of my monthly pill.

Sorry Schwanson, I really don't follow. You're saying you were willing to pay for the project? But your last post said it was fat that needed trimming? Why are you paying them anything more if it's 'the straw that broke the camel's back'?

I don't mean to get on your back, but you're sending really mixed messages here and, having started a thread about it blaming LL, I'm getting pretty confused as to whether that was a convenient thing to blame, or whether that's actually true, because you seem to be contradicting yourself.

Not that this thought crossed Schwan's mind.... But let me put a scenario in your head Moopf.

What do you think it would be like for a Newbie to come to the forums and see Schwan discussing all of his (truthful) bad dealings with Linden Lab, yet he is the owner of a SIM that is in existance *soley* to help new people learn about SL so that they will want to stay longer and do more?

I'd think the same as if I was somebody looking to rent one of his sims or buy his land to be honest. It makes no difference, if he's that unhappy why is he still lining their pockets?

My point is that he initially painted a picture of this pretty much all being LL's fault, then said it was that he needed to trim the fat, then said he was willing to pay for it. I'm just getting confused from the flip-flopping. Either he doesn't want to pay LL because of their poor service, of he does. If he does, then he needs to be clearer on the reasons for stopping Cabinhead. Having said that, he wouldn't of had to be clear at all if he hadn't posted such comments about LL in the first place. *shrug*

It may depend on the reasons the newbie plays SL. Some who had been inclined to invest time and $ in SL might likely be reluctant to proceed. Others might says "Geez, sucks to be you, dude." before they head for the nearest club. I guess the responses are as varied as the reasons for being in sl.

Then you agree it could be confusing to a new person. And a person who may not understand all the details. Like I said, I don't think this thought even crossed Shwan's mind, but I know it was one of the first things *I* thought of.



Actually, he stated 4 reasons (5 if you count the repeated one). In a summary of what I got from Schwan on the initial post was.

"I've been very unsatisfied with the way LL support has treated me as a customer. Due to new developments I am unsure what future pricing structure is going to be like. I'm not sure I can maintain or even have the time to maintain a project of this nature. Especially one that has no hopes of helping me recoup my costs. Why should I do something free (helping and encouraging new people to pay money to LL) for LL when they have been a nightmare to me. And right now I just have a sour taste in my mouth."

That in a nutshell is what I personally saw while reading Schwan's first post. I never saw him say he hated LL. Or that he was leaving. Or that *all* of his reasons for shutting down Cabinhead were LL's fault. I saw a frustrated person who realized that right now was *his* time to cut back in some areas for various reasons.

/me hires Pendari to make future press releases.

That's a good summation of how I viewed it, as well.

If a company can't even answer your questions or respond to you at all, why do something to help them, instead of doing something to help yourself? Why spend money every month on a non-profit project, when you can use that same money and make some return on it? There comes a point when you just get fed up, and you stop trying to feed the dog that keeps biting you.

If you mean that Schwanson didn't decide to liquidate and move to Star Wars Galaxies, yes you are right. However, in this particular situation, which was an order for an additional island, after all was said and done, the island order was cancelled. So in this situation, it was speaking with his wallet. When treated with less professionalism and courtesy than he expected to be treated, he changed his mind and cancelled the order.

Support must certainly does have to deal with inventory loss. Are they personally responsible that it occured? No. Are they responsible for responding to support requests for assistance, and for honoring their word to follow up on things and notify those whose job it is to resolve them? Absolutely. It should not take multiple follow ups to get results. Again, things happen, but the support team are representatives of Linden Lab. How they act in situations where customers are upset because of things like data loss, griefing, etc.. is especially important, and very much their responsibility. They are not just glorified voice menu systems ("if you are using Norton Internet Security, press 1". They are supposed to be providing assistance to paying customers, otherwise they could be replaced with automated scripts.

Well, regardless, I think things are better than ever in SL! As long as the tier change doesn't happen, I see only blue skies ahead.

You know....
That's not such a bad idea...
Have a LL sponsored contest for people to script a useful general help do-hicky.
Anytime I call my SBC support (we've had a lot of connection issues lately) I am amazed at how much their automated system -doesn't- anger me and I find it effective.

Altruism? As many times as I've read about the giving nature of this community not having the underlying motivation of money, I'm rather surprised by this statement.

When volunteering finances or time to any endeavor which benefits the community, isn't it the primary motivation the beneficiaries of the service, in this case the newbs? I understand that the service provided helps the Lindens as well by making the new user experience a positive one. But when you come down to it, the newbs are the biggest losers and LL is still getting tier for the sim. Putting it in the LL perspective as depicted as follows from another thread


Unless I misunderstand and the dogs you're talking about like to eat Purina Puppy Chow.

200/US + a month, as well as countless manhours of work, is not just simple altruism for most people. It's a commitment.

I used a word that I've seen used in these forums on the subject; commitment is a good description, too. Neither are negative. Are you thinking that I didn't realize that tier for a sim is $200 per month? Or that a profect like Cabinhead requires much commitment and work? Or that I don't hold the opinion that where anyone spends their $ and time in terms of such a commitment is their right to decide and theirs alone?

I don't see why you would be surprised. There's a line between altriusm and naivete. Spending your own hard earned money to help a company, and that company's consumers, is altruistic. Doing that while that company tells you you aren't worth the time of responding to is naive.

No, to all of what you said.

Jonquille summed up what I was trying to say in the post above mine.

Schwanson,

I have seen you help new individuals to SL in your own crazy way, showing them the humourous side of SL versus the simple creative process.

Your point about customer service stands true, it's something that has been lacking for years. The simplest question sometimes reflects that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing and has to travel down the leg to check with the "Big Toe" for the answers.

It's not your fault, you have every right to be frustrated. What you are doing is what makes America so special. We can state our opinions and walk away. I never expected LL to be a "WalMart-type" of support center, but surely SOMEONE there can be responsible enough to simply prioitize customer support on a daily basis for those who can't decide if a new account paying $9.95 is more important than a sim purchase.

You voiced your opinion with your wallet. We all have done that from the local grocery store to a physician to the dry cleaners -- we have the right to choose where and how our money is spent and to which company it will go. The sky isn't falling, but anyone who leaves SL and/or cancels a sim payment -- that's a reflection of the software and/or the overall company. You took your time, thought things through, and made a solid decision.

I'm glad to hear that you're not leaving SL. Maybe someday, especially with the new investors in place, better and more professional administration of support, client relations, etc., can be created in time for the next phase of SL. Until then, end-users will continually bounce back and forth from "owning large parcels of land" to "owning no parcels of land."

(And Blaze -- stop asking questions regarding innuendo or your own confusion on the forums and derailing threads, If you needed qualification of Schwanson's statement, a simple PM in-world or here on the forums might have answered your question in full. I'm sure you know from a supoort standpoint that sometimes it's better to ask the question with that particular individual having the problem, than the entire office how often the problem happens and if you understand it correctly. A company-wide email on a problem-resolution and/or clarification simply gives too much unnecessary information.)

I've very sorry to hear of Cabinhead's close. I was looking forward to teaching there. I think after seeing so many projects like this close down, it's time to try it myself.

I plan to buy 3 sims.

1 will cover new classes and be specifically for noob's. Helper bots will float around and based on the activity offer help guidance and notecards.

The second sim will require an investment of $1000 linden per student... As they take the courses with will have to pay an addition al $500 linden per class failed and those making straight A's will collect the pool.

The third sim will be an open "danger on" island. Classes will be held with snipers ready to send anyone asking "what's a prim?" home immediately. Also awards will be based on the best weapons and push weapons created.

*in tears... it will be SOO beautiful.

it could work! stop laughing!

With this much raw meat flying around hard not to take a bit.

Dude about the support, Thats what we in this Game call the interaction of the players and the program Staff "Support" who ever picks up da phone Why take a moot issue into the weeds. Not asking for a golf course just cut the fricken grass every now and then.

As I see it-

Havok II loose periodic chatter keeps the Techies somewhat happy ( like its really going to come out)
New or run-a-muck land managment system keeps the land barony/exchange folks somewhat happy
Flash ads, free accounts,and new promo features that dont really work keeps the newbie bottem feeders somewhat happy

A fine line they walk from just enough to keep your money coming in " TO " losing a fish every now and then.
From a fun exciting game to a marketing Jalopy flying down a bumpy road picking all the fruit from the trees as it goes but losing parts,people,and respect.

sorry call it like I see it.




I never expected LL to be a "WalMart-type" of support center, but surely SOMEONE there can be responsible enough to simply prioitize customer support on a daily basis for those who can't decide if a new account paying $9.95 is more important than a sim purchase.-Lynn Lippmann

Have people been this unhappy with customer service since the beginning? Are there, off and on, periods where people are this unhappy about something?

coco

*puts on his asbestos suit*

Schwan: Since you had made Cabinhead as a non-profit island to help newbies, I'd like you to please be transparent and post the following / make the following publicly available:

A. The total L$ and US$ (and other currencies) donations you received for Cabinhead.
B. Profits from your "FIC Schwag" sales (in US$) that you said was for Cabinhead.
C. Money spent on Cabinhead (in US$ and L$, where applicable)

Thank you.