Radical action is needed

Really, it you are happy with continuing with what you are doing regardless of the value of $L or if you are making money or not, why are you even in the L&W forum?

Everyone’s effort has a price: for you maybe spending 20 to 30 bucks a month creating stuff is entertainment and all what you are looking for in return.

Some, like me, just want to make enough to cover the tier, and have some fun while doing it.

While others look at the contents and services they provide in SL as legitimate entertainment and deserve proper compensation.

All valid POV, just like in RL we have people who do volunteer works, some work for non-profit and some work for profit.

I think in the end a stable economy is going to be good for everyone. It would attract variety of consumers, content providers, and entertainers, reinforcing the diversity of SL as they each bring something different to SL.

USA did not become a world super power because people think making “neat-stuff” for cheap is fun. China certainly did not rocket into the world largest exporter position by observing their “Socialist, Communist tradition”

Whoah, Lewis, take a chill pill!!

Speaking as one of the money grubbing capitalists you so despise, were it not for us, SL would be a much more barren place. I build and script for L - yeah for free too for my friends or a worthy cause. Most of the L I make stays in game, but some comes out to supplement my RL income. No, I am not making a living from this game, but I do like that it is paying for itself. And guess what? I enjoy building stuff, and people like what I build, so my "capitalistic piggy" efforts enrich the Sl experience for all.

The Stability of the Linden is a concern. I really dont care where it stabilizes as long as it does. And, BTW, it is through the Efforts of Capitalists that this will happen.

Oh, and Lewis, hate to break it to you but Communism is DEAD.

I did say 'One of the first'. Oh yes, I have plans... *exits cackling madly*

Boy, ain't that the truth! I sometimes think at how much more I could sell if I would get just a tad more assembly line about it! And it would be easy to do so. But unless it's something small, that needs to come in several different colors, I don't. When I finish a project, the next one is an absolute blank slate, and I want it to be it's very own brand new thing! Just like writing an article - each one has to be its very best own thing. Each one needs tending like a baby, developing like a child, finished off like an adolescent, then finally let go on the world as its very own special individual.

coco

It is through the efforts of capitalists that the economy is in such a mess in the first place.



Try telling that to the 1,306,313,812 residents of China.

Lewis

I would agree with your whole thing there, Kelly, except that the cuts we have experienced haven't helped the value of the Linden, and have resulted in driving out the good, experiential builds, and removed practically all financial incentive for providing entertainment.

By removing the $50 bonus for new basics, I feel they have harmed sales and harmed retention of players. And if they remove or reduce the $500 premium stipends, I figure sales, retention, and number of premium accounts will really go down.

coco

You are not an osterich my friend. Well said.

I'm thinking at this point it's best we simply wait and see. I don't know whether that $50 cut will help the economy any more than you know that it will hurt it. In the short run it won't help the economy, and in the long run it may not hurt sales either *shrug* I'll still continue to attend the stippend burning parties, but I won't really be protesting. Just want to do what the stippend burn was initially started for: drain the $L a bit. See you there

And you are not in any kind of position to make any opinions worth reading.


Until you start using that Burning Iris I gave ya, just... get lost and quit trolling the forum.

Spell checkers Jamie - make one your friend!

its a lost cause... she/he/it seems to love spelling that word wrong

I actually am not sure the actions LL had taken so far had help stablizing the economy at all. And in a way, I think stipends, or rather $L annuality, premium accounts promised should stay. I'm just not happy how LL is just printing out $L out of thin air

Yes we need increasing money supply to encourage growth, but doubling in a year? That's a bit crazy, and smell like the Dot Com bubble.

And at the end of the day, how many $L to a USD really doesn't matter, so long is that it is stable. The continuing downward trend is what worrying me, $L has been going down since LindeX has been around with no sign of recovery.

Thank you. This is probably one of the most reasonable expectations I've seen here in... well, ever.

Personally, I think the rate should end up stabilizing at a rate that take into account people who pay yearly, quarterly and monthly, to reflect the amount paid (on average) for stipend.

Well, consider that most of them are subsistence level farmers for whom life hasn't changed signfigicantly in 1,000 years. For them, nothing will chnage until they have the freedom to find out about the West. Meanwhile, in the big cities, the mainland Chinese are taking to Capitalism like a fish to water. Their main fear is that the government will clamp down and screw them (or kill them) - it has done so before. The likely fall of the Chicom government will occur when the captialists have enough power to force it. Then, a truely Democratic China will blossom.

The PRC has a per capita GDP of ~$7,200 (#84). Taiwan (a democracy) has a per capita GDP ~$27,600 (#24). Compare to the US ~$47,000 (#3). Hmmm - Wonder why so many citizens of the PRC try to leave?

Oh, and BTW Lewis - this is driect from my friends who live in the PRC.

The corpse of communism continues to flop around in post mortem death throes, but trust me, it's dead.

You must have a reading problem. I have said in at least 2 other threads that I will never burn my Lindens. I will sell every L$ that I have for USD.

WHY WOULD I GIVE AWAY FREE MONEY?!

Not actually true.

*checks Ordinal's forum title* Apparently, like most capitalists, Mr. Commerce is quite humor impared.

BTW, since everyone keeps talking about the economy 'rapidly approaching hyperinflation', I wonder if / when the Economy will go Plaid? (sorry, gratuitous Spaceballs reference).

While I am not a part of the movement, doing the best job possible for 'mere' prestige and dealing with customer complaints seems to be working quite fine for the Open Source folks. Seem to be a LOT of coders willing to work their asses to excel with NO renumeration other than community acclaim. And lets also take into account countless RL volunteers striving to excel for nothing but personal satisfaction at helping.

You seem a bit too focused on 'show me the money'. Perhaps YOU wouldn't excel for free, perhaps I wouldn't either (cannot honestly say)...but there are MANY who do daily in other venues, so it would indeed happen here as well.

Oh look, Ordinal! Another volunteer for the People's Glorious Revolutionary Prim Mines and Re-educational Gulag! Which shape shall he be assigned to mine?

And you'll be in stood front of her - saves bullets that way...

I dont agree with a huge portion of your posts. But everything you've said in this thread is dead on. As long as the IN-GAME economy is stable (which it has been stable since i joined in august) The LindeX itself will be self correcting till the ACTUAL value of the $L stabalizes to what people are willing to pay. And personally I dont see that stabalizing till about 500$L. Thats been my estimate since i joined and i will never BUY $L until its closer to 2500$L / $USD. Thats all its worth TO ME.

Remember its the greedy capitalist who UNDERCUT in order to SELL FASTER that adjusts the exchange rate. And thats a SMART thing for them to do if they are playing for fun and only considering sales as a means of getting 'petty cash'. Its NOT the in-game economy causing the DEVALUATION (not inflation as prices are constant) and LL should not concern itself with anything other than the in-game eocnomy. Either people who are stupid enough (maybe just lucky, more likely stupid) to think they can make a real life living on a game will choose a more intelligent and scalable business model or they wont. I dont care. I make content and sell stuff occasionally FOR FUN. Not for a living. It just happens that i've saved up enough $USD on my account to purchase a quarterly subscription.

Do i see that as the game paying ME to play? NO. What i see is that the community at large likes my products enough that I am capable of putting something back INTO THE COMPANY that is providing my entertainment. I DO NOT like the concept of paying people and am amazed anyone not living in a psyche would ever pay real world money for virtual dollars. But if someone is willing to purchase MY game dollars I have no issues with putting that money back to the company who created this environment that i enjoy so much.

A true capitalist method. Cheap.

So, you're saying that removing a gaurenteed incentive will change the mentality of people so that the items being made are because people:

1. enjoy their work for the sake of creation
2. enjoy helping others without expectation of reward
3. enjoy doing a good / thorough job for its own satisfaction

will be the only ones left making good quality products and that they will be the ones who get my money?

Hell Yes !!!

Thats the best argument for MY side of this debate i've seen in a long time, much appreciated Ricky. Now who is argueing YOUR side?

But the VALUE of that money doesnt remain thru the exchange rates. You probably can purchase MORE in PRC with 7200 than you can purchase in the US with our 47000. Exchange rates dont cover all there is to VALUE of money when you figure in cost of living rates.

... and, of course, in SL there are no 'cost of living' rates except the land you CHOOSE to own, and any textures you CHOOSE to upload, and anything you CHOOSE to buy. Oh, and of course, the monthly premium fee you CHOOSE to pay.

Capitalists, if you aren't making enough money, don't blame us for the choices you have made.

Lewis