Are YOU a business?

In a recent announcement about the Weber Award, Blaze made a curious statement:


/invalid_link.html

While the award announcement was non-profit and made no mention of *PREEN* or any other business, Jeska moved the thread to the classified section.

My question is, when any of us OWN a business, do we BECOME the business? Or put another way, If the same Aimee Weber made the same announcement, but she didn't own a business at all, would that have made the same announcement suitable for the General Forum? Or if this example does not apply then generally speaking, do a different set of rules apply to business owners vs. non-business owners even when there is no mention of the business?

I am fine either way on this issue, I just thought it was an interesting question. Duscuss!

I say repost it here. You were posting something of general interest to the community -- something completely unrelated to your business. Of course, by Blaze's reasoning, I shouldn't be allowed to post anything at all outside of the Classifieds, because my name is also the name of my business.

Judgement? Are people with businesses banned from the General forum?

Well, I think if it wasn't called the Weber Award you might have had a bit of a different reaction. In other words, Blaze wouldn't have had much of a case. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you! We were thinking of doing something similar with Luskwood, and figured it would definitely be a non-profit sort of thing.

But, as the forums are, well, you know, bacteria grows well in a petri dish; "OMG UNFAIR!" grows well in any Internet forum.

I don't think it's primary purpose, Aimee, was self promotion.

I will, however, come out and say that it's pretty much known that Blaze has a bone to pick with you, so I believe the motivations behind it are alles klar.

Even if it were called the Michi Lumin award or the Philip Linden award, neither the award nor the person is a business, and this post shouldn't have been banished to the shadows of the classified ads. It seems pretty clear that this is just a certain person's attempt to take a pot-shot at a prominent figure.

I agree it should not have been moved to the Classifieds forum, but the question of "whether a person is a business" is an interesting one.

For instance, I routinely call Celestial Studios (Designs? Fashions?) "Starley's place." I just associate that store with her, because ... well, she *is* Celestial Studios.

It is easier to identify with a company when there's a person rather than an "organization" -- gives it more of a ... well, human touch, I guess

I find that a business is more successful when people can identify a a figurehead, so to speak. As an example: Philip Rosedale of Linden Lab.

Any of us can object to a forum post's category, but it is a Linden who decides whether the post should be moved. Blaze just happened to be public about his opinion on that one.

To Aimee's question, I don't think that Blaze's argument of you being a business is a valid reason to move the post.

The fact that we have a Special Attractions Forum for "parties, contests, games, charitable auctions and fun things to do" is the reason why it was moved. There are many folks on the forums, like Cubey said, that have eponymous businesses. There is no reason for General posts by them to be moved. But if the post more accurately belongs in another category, it should be moved, regardless of the original motive of the poster.

I am not sure I understand the question, Aimee. I guess I am a business since I incorporated myself as Susieland Inc but does that mean I can't post here any more?

I doubt Jeska moving the thread had anything to do with Blaze's troll.

I assume the thread was moved to the Special Attractions section of the Classified forum because it resembles a contest (Special Attractions: Announce parties, contests, games, charitable auctions and fun things to do).

It's not my opionion that your award is enough like a contest to warrant the move, but I'll assume she had noble intentions.

If you have something to say, I think we're all interested in your reasons without having to resort to deragatory language about my posting.

If you're not sure how, please refer to the many examples above of people who were able to do this.

Actually, no. I have a wholey different motivation. I have an alt who is doing exactly the same thing as Aimee except that the alt doesn't post to the general forums because I realise that would be spamming.

Why should Aimee get all the free publicity when I (and I suspect many many others) resist the urge?

Also, to be honest, I was pretty shocked to see Jeska move the post. I was under the impression that the FIC was immune to stuff like that and probably why I expressed my opinion rather stronger than was probably warranted.

I suspect if the Lindens keep that up, people will have very little reason complain and we can go back to a community that trusts one another ant isn't so divided because we are confident that people are not getting special treatment.

Also, to be clear, if I had know that the post would have gotten moved, I probably wouldn't have protested as much. I only meant to discourage Aimee from spamming the general forums, not really to get the original post moved.

Not that anything I said had anything to do with what happened. Cause, I am pretty sure by now that moderators do the opposite of what I suggest!

i usually dissociate myself of KDC

amusing thing is sometimes peoples dont even know its me XD

Blaze,

Why is it that you will gladly comment in the threads that pop up about the value of the L$, mutual funds, banking, etc.. all which do not belong in this forum, and never say a word about their inappropriateness for this forum, but Aimee was fair game for you to criticize? Bias is an ugly thing.

Aimee posed a very interesting question.

I think I have to conclude the same as what a poster above concluded.

It got moved not really so much because she was a business, but rather that she was doing something which has already been clearly classified by a lot of people who are and have done the same thing as her.

And yeah, I need to stop following up economy posts in this forum. It's hard though, because to me that's what SL is all about

I don't think Aimee Weber = *PREEN*, or that the Weber Awards could possibly of been read by anyone as the *PREEN* awards.... She could sell her business today, and she'd still be Aimee Weber, and the award would still bare her name. I especially can't see how that post looked in any way like an Advertisement.

It doesn't matter where the announcement was moved (won't effect participation), but I think it's important to remember, people own business', they are not business' themselves. That's why we incorporate in RL.

You are probably right.

However, Aimee might have tried to generalise the name a bit more, though and try to make it something that was more democratic. The fact that it was her name and under her control meant that any benefit would go towards her.

Not really the sort of stuff suitable for a massive shout channel that is the general forums.

I think the contest is a great idea, but it probably should be in the Special Attractions forum. "Announce parties, contests, games, charitable auctions and fun things to do" sounds about right. Contest? Yep. Longer term, but still there are still winners and competition.

I disagree with blaze; the Weber Award is not commercial, so I don't think it was moved because of that.

And to go back to the original question, a person is not a business, even if the business can't run without that person or shares the same name.

Right now the only benefit I get from the award is...I pay $L 9000 out of pocket every three months to people chosen by the review board. By benefits do you mean I would get name recognition? I'm not really sure this award would give me more name recognition than I have, and if it does there are a LOT cheaper ways I could have done it.

Beyond that, great comments guys.

Handing out awards is probably one of the oldest business tactics in the book.

And it's not the name recognition, but rather the complicit agreement amongst people to promote each other's products.

For example, you send an award for Chip Midnight's clothes and he starts threads about how great your products are.

It's basic marketing 101.

Or just someone giving something back to the Community that helps the business grow?

*kicks Blaze*

Maybe SL is just a fun hobby for some. Must we keep questioning people's motivations? It's a fun thing. F U N.

The problem is that if we allow people to do things which can be utilised as business tactics who have good intentions, then what about those who don't?

Let's say I created the blaze spinnaker award for the sole purpose giving awards to my friends and then they create their awards for the sole purpose of giving awards to me.

And we both spam the general forum like mad?

This sort of thing isn't scaleable. I'm sure Aimee is one altruistic dudette and spends all her money / time trying to make SL a better place, but not everyone is going to be that way.

I understand your concern, but people would see through this right away, and everyone would shout "Party Foul".

As it is, I'm sure the winners of the first Weber awards will be people who have been labeled FIC... I'm sure some wanker will start jumping up and down screaming "FIC" conspiracy, when the truth is... people who have been labelled "FIC" have made significant contributions to SL over the past 2 years, and deserve to be in the front of the recognition line.

[sarcasm]Aimee, didn't you know that if you become successful, popular, or "famous" in SL that you no longer deserve the respect that "normal" people get? People become free to affix you with derisive labels, make insinuations about "special favors" and collusion with the Lindens. Slander and libel becomes fine and dandy. In fact all of the above becomes "important social commentary(tm)". Never let it be said that being considered FIC doesn't have perks![/sarcasm]

I find your stances on things puzzling.

By your own admission 'blaze' is an alt you keep seperate primarily to be your mouthpiece on the forums. - Keeping yourself anonymous from any business you have - thus shielding any of your SL business interests from any bad PR>

Then you deny Aimee any benifit of the doubt that her award is not about her business. She of course does not chose the same protection when she speaks her mind that you do.

People have said time and time again that SL business doesnt pay even minimum wage for the majority of SUCCESSFUL people as far as time spent to proffits earned benifit. Yet Aimee is offering $40 ish US dollars for awards in an attempt to allow people to compete creatively.

The only one likely to see any business gain is the creative people who spend their time coming up with good ideas to compete for the award. - even if they dont win their efforts might just be marketable. So very likely AImee is helping OTHER people who she doesnt know in business with her idea.

If you INSIST on tying Aimee to her business in such she cant be seperate from it. Then Id suggest youd have a lot more weight to your arguement if you placed yourself in an equal level of disclosure.

If you wish to maintain your protection of anonymity - id suggest you will suffer in credibility on sniping at those who dont hide behind "forum alts"