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Eloise Pasteur
Curious Individual
Join date: 14 Jul 2004
Posts: 1,952
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08-26-2006 06:03
From: Frank Lardner Buying products in a market where they are plentiful and cheap, then selling them in another market where they are scarce and dear is called commerce. It has been the foundation of merchantile civilization for thousands of years. "Selling at a higher price" is called "profit," not "ripping people off." Without a profit incentive, there would be no stream of middlemen to move product (such as the real clothes, food, fuel and computers you use everyday) from manufacturer to consumer.
Some say that calling capitalism "theft" is communism. I just call it naivite, and lack of economic education.
~ Frank ~ Whilst this is true what is its relevance in SL? If you have an item you made in SL, you have a basically infinite supply. There are no overheads, no real space for someone to undercut you... Selling at a higher price is still called profit. I make enough in SL most months to pay my tier and some extra money - I like socialising too much to turn it into a full time job. But, taking items provided freely from a number of places and selling them individually at a large price... there are usually laws about repricing, reselling without clear representation etc. I'm guessing you're a US citizen... so have a look at the laws, regulations and paperwork that surround your allegedly free market economy. SL is far, far closer to a genuinely free market. But shipping goods etc, supply and demand economic models, not applicable here. |
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Cocoanut Koala
Coco's Cottages
Join date: 7 Feb 2005
Posts: 7,903
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08-26-2006 18:03
I think it would be great if LL made the transfer permissions into two separate permissions: Transfer/no sell, and transfer/sell.
Having said that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with reselling items.
I make houses and home accessories.
When I make a house, I am not making a piece of software for someone else to use to make things with or do things with. I'm making a house to use AS a house. My house is not a program that can be used to design websites, say, or create games.
When I make a sofa, I'm not making a piece of software for someone else to use for other purposes. I'm making a sofa to use AS a sofa, or maybe as a hat, if you prefer. Yes. It really is a sofa.
When I make a freebie set of signs, I'm not making a piece of software. I'm making a set of freebie signs, the only use for which is . . . as signs. They aren't going to help you write letters or build robots.
Moreover, I have control over whether the end-user can make copies of said house or sofa, or change it, or resell it.
Unless I check off the "copy" box, other people can't make a jillion copies of my house for resale, at negligable cost to them, like they might be able to with a copy of Windows XP or a Tony Bennett CD.
And unless I check off the "transfer" box, they can't resell all the copies they make.
If I don't check off either one, they can't even sell the one copy they have.
Here's how I work it:
Houses - copy/mod (the customers need that), but no transfer.
Special items, such as laundry sets, that might be used as gifts - transfer, but no copy/mod.
Freebies - copy/mod, but no transfer.
I wouldn't dream of checking off all permissions. That would give basically be giving away my entire business to other people.
I've heard that early in the game, the Lindens asked players to make free items with all permissions checked - including copy and transfer. I can see how it would be disturbing for them to see those things now being sold by others.
But these days, there is absolutely zero excuse for not making use of the permissions system. (Texture makers are one unusual exception - they definitely need more options than we're given.)
Even if you are just giving out freebies, mark them either no-copy or non-transfer. After all, it's not like everyone can't come get one for themselves.
coco
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