Vasudha Linden's Employment is Terminated

What I would really like to know is... why did it take a month for LL to tell her "contract is up"? With all the hell being raised in these forums the lack of any response from LL and a month later we find out we have no economist? Its very disconcerting.

I have to say whyever she went I'm not sorry. Mind you economic advisor for LL might just be the worst job in the world and I hope she's happy with whatever she's doing now.

Just about everyone agrees *something* must be done, but whatever suggestion you make will have someone outraged. It is also a position that puts you into a situation where the residents (including me) want to know what you're doing and demand hard data, and they'll shout loudly about the decision you make. Presumably the appointee has training in economics, then comes to a world where whatever model they apply has underlying assumptions that simply don't apply - how does that bias and distort the model? Someone may be able to tell you, but you're suddenly expected to be able to amend the economic model as well as interpret a new economy.

Having agreed with RDB a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly find myself in the equally unlikely position of thinking Lewis might be talking sense. There are lots of theories floating around from the residents - hell I've floated a couple - and although we've got a series of vested (and possibly contradictory) interests there are a number of people here that have some grasp on the economy of SL and can probably also at least predict the howls of outrage and may be able to pick and choose between them.

Thanks.. Without you I wouldn't have anything to fuss about.
The world would actually work. Free Markets, Supply/Demand,. etc...
But once you start trying to control this segment or that, you upset
the balance and cause crazy things to happen. Like a 20% decline
in value in the blink of an eye.

Lets create a (User Run) Economic Council that steps the Stipend Rate
every month. It will consist of 13 members who vote for or against any
change to the stipend inflow. They will vote for an Increase, Decrease, or Do Nothing.

Linden Labs should hold 6 seats, the users hold 6 seats, and some neutral
and unbias 3rd party should hold 1 seat.

I'm with Fade and CJ. Your initial post is rude and disrespectful, but hardly surprising coming from you.

RBD: Wow, Vasudha left you with a pile of poo.

I don't believe that removing you from the forums was one of Vasudha's objectives.

ROFLMAO!

Although it should have been. The number one destabilizing aspect in the economy right now is lack of confidence(largely LL's fault) RBD has been doing everything he can to create the that lack of confidence. Eliminating RBD would do more for the economy than creating "jobs".

Actually, I have very little to do with the economy of SL. I find that it's not nearly as important as the economy of RL, and lassaiz faire capitalism is not exactly the best for either the world or the people on it.

You can have your particular brand of frothing, neurotic economic libertarianism on SL all you like. But thinking that a pure free market will work for those of us who have to live within it just shows me how far off the deep end (and morally bankrupt) you are.

How about let's not be talking about removing people from posting.

Unless of course you don't believe in free speech at all.

Which wouldn't be surprising in these forums, where people talk endlessly about how best to "ostracize" others.

Having a good society doesn't depend on getting rid of annoying individuals - and I must say, of all posters, RBD is the personally most annoying one to me. Nonetheless, it is necessary to see contrary views, however much I may ultimately discount them, or be continually annoyed by them.

Having a good society depends precisely on NOT getting rid of annoying individuals; it depends precisely on free speech and protection under the law for all.

I really, really, really don't want to be part of a world where annoying people are summarily executed, and I'm not just real crazy as it is about living in a world where so many people are so anxious to see that happen.

It's also anti-intellectual to want to get rid of people, and anti-progress. There isn't a SINGLE individual who isn't worthy of being heard and considered, who doesn't provide perspective and the occasional useful idea, even if only in its analysis, to be ultimately discarded.

Very anti-intellectual, very lynch mob, very inhumane, and the antithesis of freedom.

coco

ROFLMAO too!

Now if only we could find a scapegoat for the person running around grabbing everyone else's FREE content work and reselling it rather than making any effort to make thier own things, or pay someone to make some non free items.

Agreed Jon. That and the occasional dumping of huge blocks of L's on the market through alt and/or on e-bay. Personally I think the real puppetmaster is a bit larger though adn thier aim is to destabilize things further then introduce thier imaginary currency which is backed by an imaginary object. Same person BTW who couldn't back thier own tier/account not too long ago.

SL is an experiment in Utopia, and a study in why a Utopia can't really exist. Free material, no staples of "life", freedom (as long as you don't restrict someone elses), etc.

If Vasudha suggested ditching stipends and people earning their spending money by work (contrived or not), then he/she did have a handle on what it takes to make a working economy... but yes it would have required the death of the mindset that goes with SL, which flawed and wonderful as it is, people either can't or won't change (including LL themselves). Users because being required to give as much as you get is distasteful, and LL because ironically a healthy economy in SL could end up costing them more real money.

That's my two cents and here's one more. I'm betting Vasudha took the job thinking it would thoroughly rock, and as soon as the contract was up, ran for the hills.

I'd vote for either Frank Lardner or RL professor Edward Castronova.

Frank, I'm sure is working a lucrative job, and Edward is a professor, nevertheless this could be a telecommuting contract. You can't touch Frank as a big thinker in SL and you can't touch Edward as the foremost virtual economy expert.

Read Frank's forum postings, and google Edward (and his books/papers) and you'll see what I mean.

Yeah keep holding that breath....

Troy

Umm... Dear ReserveBank, it's 2006, we don't address people's political beliefs in that fashion anymore....

Troy

PS: *Nothing but hugs to you* We love you despite the fact that your comments are fudging things up on a constant basis. You are a gift to SL and you deserve the best you can get for all the meticulous works of speculation you leash upon the unknowing masses.

I quite strongly endorse your viewpoint.

To a point.

It is fine to say that everyone is worthy of being heard... it's another thing to actually have the time to 'hear' everyone. And when some people abuse the right to be heard over and over and over... and folks who have not yet been heard are lost on the excessive banal noise, that's rather unfair, yes? Question is how do we manage that without 'vanishing' people.

use the mute button! Isnt there one on the forums? (I ask this in all seriousness cause I do not know)

Left click the name of the post, go to their profile and you will find the option to mute somewhere there.

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