Content providers are encountering increasing difficulties with the fluxuating exchange rate. This we all know. The problem largely revolves around the dollar I earn one day becoming 90 cents when I come to cash it out, thanks to the Linden value falling. Also, the product I may have earnt $1 US per sale a week ago now only earns me 90 cents (I myself have products that once earnt me a dollar and a half in the heady days of L$270 to the dollar. Now I get a dollar).
Likewise, the opposite can occur (though unlikely in the current situation, it will happen soon).
This issue also hits content purchasers. The shiny shoes you wished to buy may have cost you $1 US a week ago, but now costs $1.20 because the value of the Linden has risen (again, not likely currently, but it will happen).
My modest proposal is thus: use a vendor system that adjusts the price of your products in Lindens to match their real dollar value. You no longer sell your shiny shoes at, say, L$200. Instead, you sell it at whatever L$ value presently matches the US dollar amount you wish to attribute to that object.
So, if you wish your dollar to cost 50 US cents, it may cost L$150 one day, L$152 the next, and L$149 the next.
This would remove much of the win and lose of transanctions, and make a much fairer system for all involved, as customers would all be paying, and creators earning, the same "real" money price, rather than getting better deals some days, and worse deals on others, as the L$/$ rate fluxuates.
Making such a system should be simple, and would require nothing much more complex than the average linked vendor system (such as JEVN).
There is only one link in the method that I can't yet imagine how to automate: that is, checking the current exchange rate. At the moment, I can only think that the creator would have to manually check each day and feed the information to the vendor server.
If anyone has any ideas on how that step can be automated, or suggestions, or "what a great/terrible idea"s, I wait with eager ea...umm...eyes.
Musuko.
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A modest proposal. |
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Musuko Massiel
Registered User
Join date: 4 Nov 2005
Posts: 435
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05-26-2006 10:10
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Jonas Pierterson
Dark Harlequin
Join date: 27 Dec 2005
Posts: 3,660
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05-26-2006 10:12
Content providers are encountering increasing difficulties with the fluxuating exchange rate. This we all know. The problem largely revolves around the dollar I earn one day becoming 90 cents when I come to cash it out, thanks to the Linden value falling. Also, the product I may have earnt $1 US per sale a week ago now only earns me 90 cents (I myself have products that once earnt me a dollar and a half in the heady days of L$270 to the dollar. Now I get a dollar). Likewise, the opposite can occur (though unlikely in the current situation, it will happen soon). This issue also hits content purchasers. The shiny shoes you wished to buy may have cost you $1 US a week ago, but now costs $1.20 because the value of the Linden has risen (again, not likely currently, but it will happen). My modest proposal is thus: use a vendor system that adjusts the price of your products in Lindens to match their real dollar value. You no longer sell your shiny shoes at, say, L$200. Instead, you sell it at whatever L$ value presently matches the US dollar amount you wish to attribute to that object. So, if you wish your dollar to cost 50 US cents, it may cost L$150 one day, L$152 the next, and L$149 the next. This would remove much of the win and lose of transanctions, and make a much fairer system for all involved, as customers would all be paying, and creators earning, the same "real" money price, rather than getting better deals some days, and worse deals on others, as the L$/$ rate fluxuates. Making such a system should be simple, and would require nothing much more complex than the average linked vendor system (such as JEVN). There is only one link in the method that I can't yet imagine how to automate: that is, checking the current exchange rate. At the moment, I can only think that the creator would have to manually check each day and feed the information to the vendor server. If anyone has any ideas on how that step can be automated, or suggestions, or "what a great/terrible idea"s, I wait with eager ea...umm...eyes. Musuko. Personally, I'll compare prices. And I'll buy from the people who keep their prices low because its a game. Rather than buy from those who raise prices to match a sell rate I could care less about. Sounds win/win to me. Seperate the linden sellers from those doing it for the joy of the game. |
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Derrick Cannoli
Just Somebody
Join date: 4 Sep 2005
Posts: 81
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05-26-2006 10:21
Personally, I'll compare prices. And I'll buy from the people who keep their prices low because its a game. Rather than buy from those who raise prices to match a sell rate I could care less about. Sounds win/win to me. Seperate the linden sellers from those doing it for the joy of the game. Without that sell rate there is no motivation to create anything. How many people would waste hours, days, or even weeks creating something if there was no compensation. You can claim there would be tons till you're blue in the face, however how many dealerships have given you a free car lately......ya know.....for the love of the road? |
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Pham Neutra
Registered User
Join date: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 478
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05-26-2006 10:21
My modest proposal is thus: use a vendor system that adjusts the price of your products in Lindens to match their real dollar value. You no longer sell your shiny shoes at, say, L$200. Instead, you sell it at whatever L$ value presently matches the US dollar amount you wish to attribute to that object. On the other hand: this is a perfect machine for fueling a runaway inflation. RL history contains many examples for that. In the 80s and 90s for example, contracts that included clauses like that were forbidden by law in the country, where I live. While I fully understand the reasoning behind your suggestion, it is a rather short-sighted "solution" to a fundamental problem. |
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Jonas Pierterson
Dark Harlequin
Join date: 27 Dec 2005
Posts: 3,660
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05-26-2006 10:23
Without that sell rate there is no motivation to create anything. How many people would waste hours, days, or even weeks creating something if there was no compensation. You can claim there would be tons till you're blue in the face, however how many dealerships have given you a free car lately......ya know.....for the love of the road? Differerenc ebetween rl and sl. rl: the car takes materials sl: the car takes some time, a desire, and some game money to upload textures There are PLENTY of people that don't care about rl money in recompense for the time they spend ENJOYING THEMSELVES building. I'm one of those people. The in game money is my compensation, along with a smile. Look at the number of freebies. Now tell me noone would create anything without recompensation. |
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Derrick Cannoli
Just Somebody
Join date: 4 Sep 2005
Posts: 81
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05-26-2006 10:34
Differerenc ebetween rl and sl. rl: the car takes materials sl: the car takes some time, a desire, and some game money to upload textures There are PLENTY of people that don't care about rl money in recompense for the time they spend ENJOYING THEMSELVES building. I'm one of those people. The in game money is my compensation, along with a smile. Look at the number of freebies. Now tell me noone would create anything without recompensation. look at the quality of the freebies compared to the stuff you have to actually pay for. Big difference. According to your mindset the materials shouldnt matter. I guarantee you there are many more people that are passionate about cars and enjoy building them, they still wouldnt give them away for free |
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Jonas Pierterson
Dark Harlequin
Join date: 27 Dec 2005
Posts: 3,660
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05-26-2006 10:35
look at the quality of the freebies compared to the stuff you have to actually pay for. Big difference. According to your mindset the materials shouldnt matter. I guarantee you there are many more people that are passionate about cars and enjoy building them, they still wouldnt give them away for free My freebies are of good quality, alot of mine from others are. And I would give them away for free. |
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Rasah Tigereye
"Buckaneer American"
Join date: 30 Nov 2003
Posts: 783
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05-26-2006 10:37
Differerenc ebetween rl and sl. rl: the car takes materials sl: the car takes some time, a desire, and some game money to upload textures There are PLENTY of people that don't care about rl money in recompense for the time they spend ENJOYING THEMSELVES building. I'm one of those people. The in game money is my compensation, along with a smile. Look at the number of freebies. Now tell me noone would create anything without recompensation. rl: the car takes materials, a desire, and some money to pay for paint and designs. (not to mention research, test builds, development, working out bugs, and making sure it looks good.) sl: the car takes some time, a desire, and some game money (oftentimes more than what you get from stippends) to upload textures (not to mention research, test builds, development, working out bugs, and making sure it looks good.) That's why a car in SL doesn't cost you $15,000US, but it is still not cheap or easy to produce. |
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Jonas Pierterson
Dark Harlequin
Join date: 27 Dec 2005
Posts: 3,660
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05-26-2006 10:40
rl: the car takes materials, a desire, and some money to pay for paint and designs. (not to mention research, test builds, development, working out bugs, and making sure it looks good.) sl: the car takes some time, a desire, and some game money (oftentimes more than what you get from stippends) to upload textures (not to mention research, test builds, development, working out bugs, and making sure it looks good.) That's why a car in SL doesn't cost you $15,000US, but it is still not cheap or easy to produce. test texture upload sin the preview grid - renewable money only upload the final version in main grid - 10L |
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Rasah Tigereye
"Buckaneer American"
Join date: 30 Nov 2003
Posts: 783
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05-26-2006 10:41
test texture upload sin the preview grid - renewable money only upload the final version in main grid - 10L Cars I've seen use MANY more than ONE texture. More complex ones use a bunch of textures that can't be checked in the preview, because they need to patch up with textures on other prims in that car. |
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Jonas Pierterson
Dark Harlequin
Join date: 27 Dec 2005
Posts: 3,660
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05-26-2006 10:43
Cars I've seen use MANY more than ONE texture. More complex ones use a bunch of textures that can't be checked in the preview, because they need to patch up with textures on other prims in that car. Build the car in preview. Write down numbers, and get textures right. Build the car in main grid at near zero cost, and a likelyhood of it working next update (selling feature!) |
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Derrick Cannoli
Just Somebody
Join date: 4 Sep 2005
Posts: 81
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05-26-2006 10:50
Build the car in preview. Write down numbers, and get textures right. Build the car in main grid at near zero cost, and a likelyhood of it working next update (selling feature!) That still doesnt take into account that the materials that real cars use cost much less than the retail price of the car. So what exactly are they charging that extra money for? Oh yeah its their time, effort, and research. |
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ninjafoo Ng
Just me :)
Join date: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 713
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05-26-2006 10:51
Build the car in preview. Write down numbers, and get textures right. Build the car in main grid at near zero cost, and a likelyhood of it working next update (selling feature!) Go insane as the preview client bounces you up and down like a yoyo _____________________
FooRoo : clothes,bdsm,cages,houses & scripts
QAvimator (Linux, MacOS X & Windows) : http://qavimator.org/ |
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ninjafoo Ng
Just me :)
Join date: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 713
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05-26-2006 10:52
My modest proposal is thus: use a vendor system that adjusts the price of your products in Lindens to match their real dollar value. If you cut the L$ out of the loop the L$ is dead. You will have unchecked runaway inflation and people will simply stop carrying Linden Currency. Game Over. _____________________
FooRoo : clothes,bdsm,cages,houses & scripts
QAvimator (Linux, MacOS X & Windows) : http://qavimator.org/ |
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Kai Venkman
Will script for food...
Join date: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 43
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05-26-2006 11:03
A couple other things to consider:
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Vivianne Draper
Registered User
Join date: 15 Sep 2005
Posts: 1,157
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05-26-2006 11:17
Once you earned 150 on the dollar. You said so yourself. And, if we consumers were to emulate you content makers, we should have been screaming about how the linden dollar was too high in value, how we were being ripped off, being forced to pay too much to you greedy folks. But we didn't. We just kind of took it in stride.
Now its not that the economy was more stable then. It was just unstable in your favor. So you didn't care. But really, if you were going to care, then was the time. But since you didn't, and since we didn't, please excuse us if we still don't. |
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ninjafoo Ng
Just me :)
Join date: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 713
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05-26-2006 11:17
Demand is not as elastic at you may think, add in all the new competition and you raise prices at your own peril You just can't compete with someone who's doing it for the love of it, and price is just the motivation people need to get off their backsides. _____________________
FooRoo : clothes,bdsm,cages,houses & scripts
QAvimator (Linux, MacOS X & Windows) : http://qavimator.org/ |
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Rasah Tigereye
"Buckaneer American"
Join date: 30 Nov 2003
Posts: 783
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05-26-2006 11:21
A couple other things to consider:
Biggest cost is the land tier to put the shop on that allows you to buy that item. Think of land as the factory, the advertizing agency, and the sales floor. |
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Musuko Massiel
Registered User
Join date: 4 Nov 2005
Posts: 435
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05-26-2006 11:27
Leaving the issue of whether or not people have the right to charge for their skills, hard work and time aside, can we concentrate on the merits and flaws of such a vendor system?
"On the other hand: this is a perfect machine for fueling a runaway inflation." A good point. On the one hand, the value of the Linden in this system would be meaningless: L$1000 to the dollar or L$1 to the dollar, no matter, as you'd still be charging a dollar, whatever the L$ division of it. However, I can see your point insofar as the damage caused by the currency dropping in value between the time you sell the item and the time you cash out the money...and the time between the purchaser buying their Lindens and then trying to sell them. Musuko. |
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ninjafoo Ng
Just me :)
Join date: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 713
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05-26-2006 11:36
If the use of such vendors were to become the norm it would only be a very short time before everyone switched the vendors over to SLExchange terminals that simply linked people to the website. Pay directly in USD, the L$ is irrelivent.
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FooRoo : clothes,bdsm,cages,houses & scripts
QAvimator (Linux, MacOS X & Windows) : http://qavimator.org/ |
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aEoLuS Waves
Koffie?
Join date: 10 Jun 2005
Posts: 279
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05-26-2006 11:39
Build the car in preview. Write down numbers, and get textures right. Build the car in main grid at near zero cost, and a likelyhood of it working next update (selling feature!) I think thats "cheating" (using a nice word). But must say its very clever to cut down on costs. I wonder if papa and mama Linden would spank you for that... _____________________
http://drainwaves.com
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Kai Venkman
Will script for food...
Join date: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 43
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05-26-2006 11:40
Biggest cost is the land tier to put the shop on that allows you to buy that item. Think of land as the factory, the advertizing agency, and the sales floor. With SLBoutique and SLexchange who needs a store? This way people shop for my stuff at work! What could be better? |
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Kai Venkman
Will script for food...
Join date: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 43
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05-26-2006 11:44
I think thats "cheating" (using a nice word). But must say its very clever to cut down on costs. I wonder if papa and mama Linden would spank you for that... He's not cheating, he's validating the build tools in preview.  |
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Dhalia Unsung
confused not conditioned
Join date: 30 Dec 2004
Posts: 297
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05-26-2006 11:44
look at the quality of the freebies compared to the stuff you have to actually pay for. Big difference. yeah, a lot of the freebies I have are way higher quality than bought and paid for content. Good point! |
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aEoLuS Waves
Koffie?
Join date: 10 Jun 2005
Posts: 279
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05-26-2006 11:46
He's not cheating, he's validating the build tools in preview. _____________________
http://drainwaves.com
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