Decay/Deactivated accounts after Lifetime Membership?

I got a really good question asked during my Q&A today and I want to share it with everyone, including the Lindens.

If you sign up for a lifetime membership and then leave the game, does the account ever deactivate and does your stuff ever decay (aka: land, and then objects)?

Just think of the many problems here and we now build our thread

So, talk about it everyone!

I think they keep your stuff. I'd send my henchmen after them if they didn't.

I would imagine it would follow the 28 day policy. I got it to where any account that shows no activity in 28 days gets purged. It's usually the way most games work that have items in the game that you can hold. I;d say if you know you are gonna be on a gaming Hiatus ahead of time, package all your stuff in your inventory or give to a friend to hold onto. At least there isn't a limit to how much one can hold like on some of the other games.

The MMORPG I used to play has a six month account purge timer: after six months of not paying, your account information is deleted. Cutting off a lifetime membership after someone goes on vacation of a month seems a little harsh in comparison. Sorry, guys, but lifetime really must mean lifetime.

Problem with a lifetime is many people may not play for a lifetime. So do any half completed projects or junk they have left behind just stay there? No. I think the best method is to let them leave things sitting around for maybe 6 months.... then all land is sold (they get the money from this) and all objects are put into their inventory. After a year that inventory is gone from actual game storage and account is put on hold... or something... the inventory can be put in storage and their account can be reactivated by contacting SL with their info. This will make it so that land can reopen up and object limits will be ok since inactive peoples objects will be removed. While still preserving the players lifetime contract with SL.

JV

I find Jonathan's suggestion to be reasonable for the most part. If you haven't logged in for six months, sure, move objects to inventory and release land, and credit the account balance for the derez and release. I don't see a need to deactivate the account at all, though.

As a Lifer, I don't mind being subject to a limit of a month of inactivity. The rest of the world shouldn't have to pay for my RL circumstances. I think, at that point, my land should be sold back, stuff put in inventory, stipend stopped, whatever. Then, I'd expect 6 months or a year before my account is reinitialized - put back to the beginning - which is a good place to start again after that length of time.

I would certainly expect to still have my account available in SOME form for some prolonged period of time.

On the other hand, I would not begrudge some sort of expected limitation by Linden Labs that named a limit (in years) on how long my account needs to remain dormant before they simply conclude I've opted out of my lifetime membership.

Or maybe not

At any rate, they should probably get more specific about this before they actually charge our credit cards. We are agreeing to a pretty general contract right now. It would be good for LL to get something in writing before the contract goes into effect.

Just thinking out loud.

How could someone go inactive for month after playing this game?!? It's not possible

If a person had a life event or a simple extended vacation the 28 days could *easily* pass. I think if you are a lifer that there *should* be something in place to guard your "stuff" if you have to be gone for more than 28 days.

Lifers have given a commitment to be here. It'd be nice if the 28 days could be extended for this group OR if the 28 days could be extended on a case by case basis. If I decide to see the country and be gone a couple months I would hope I could contact LL and arrange something. Im sure some would say "pack it up while you are gone" but some have commitments to groups.

Also, re:



You're stuff isnt put anywhere when this happens. The land is released and your stuff is subject to scavengers trying to make a buck.
And as some have found, inactive accounts lose *EVERYTHING* .

That would really stink.

Good question. I was pulling 45-65 hours a week since I first got on. <8-(

On the other hand, I had to take two days off last weekend because of a serious illness in the family, and it's possible there will be a few more soon. Now, I can easily see RL encrouching to a degree that keeps a person offline for several weeks.

Also, I suppose, you could join the military, tour the Amazon, become an exchange student to Azerbijan, give childbirth, get a new lover, plan a bank heist, explore Mars, come under surveilance by the government's new Total Information Awareness program, go to work for the Republican Party's election campaign, or do a short stretch in the Big House - any number of fairly distracting RL adventures that could take you out for more that a few weeks.

So - although I can't imagine a whole month away from my avatar - I suppose it's very possible that Linden Labs should outline some sort of process for unavoidably absent Lifers.

Hi guys -

Subscribers are not subject to inactive purges.

Subscribers who are inactive for very long periods of time and have many objects and much land in the world might find that taxation takes its toll... but that's another thread. Which FYI - we're reading all the comments about the economy and working on changes big and small for future releases.

ROFL, Kathy!!!

Here I was, just reading down this thread, mumbling to myself, "Twenty-eight days can pass in a heartbeat. Don't they have a CLUE as to the many unplanned things that could happen to instantaneously change a person's life and gobble up 28 days....?"

You said it better....with grace and humor.



Your new fan,

Maggie

All I meant was the land would get back to becoming public, maybe hannging onto all stuff you wanted to keep. I think it's fair, cause about every 2 months or so I get tired of seeing the same scenery. Personally I was thinking of having a house boat, one that I could move just on the water and keep parked but be a little offshore to be kinda close to the land. Maybe a houseboat wouldn't be subject to land tax. Than what? a water tax? LOL.

Guess whats under the water? YUP! LAND!

Already knew that, I just mean certain areas could have no land and just water, thus water tax.

I think the only special consideration that is inherent to lifetime membership is that you will have an account for life and not have to pay any further funds to keep that account alive. That is how I would define life time membership. To the degree that the lindens want to give that status extra features of course I am all for it. But I don't think extra features are inherent in the purchase of the lifetime membership. 28 day rule should apply. Account existence should be non-compromisable under any circumstances.

Sorry, I somehow missed Hunters input. I guess we get an upgrade to what I thought lifetime meant and it is much appreciated.