Step 1: Eliminate the Basic Membership lindens giveaway effective now!

From what I've heard there had been taxes in SL at one time. I can't comment on how it was structured but apparently it wasn't something that worked. I'm not so sure it would work now. It's hard enough now to make enough Ls to pay my inworld "bills" without adding taxes in on top. Obviuosly I would be against taxes at this point. Unless it was structured similar to US income tax where below a certain income is not taxable. To be honest I can't think of a way to tax things that would work. Not unless we are all willing to file tax forms with LL. I doubt that would work either. Just thinking about it is a total turn off.

Actually, the only "tax" that I think might work would be a sales tax, adjusted weekly according to the market value of the L$. The more L$ can be purchased for $1, the more the sales tax to offset the glut likely causing that problem. So for example, if the current L$ market is 280/$1, there would be sales tax. If the market was say, 250/$1 (the rate which most people agree is the ideal exchange rate), there would be no sales tax, as the market would be considered stable.

The tax would be paid not by the merchants, but by the buyer at the time of the sale. It thus would not cut into merchant profits, which are already impacted by the L$ devaluation (that's the whole purpose of the tax in the first place, to increase the value of the L$). Wouldn't make sense to tax merchants an income tax so that the value of the L$ would increase. The tax would have to be applied buyer side-- and thus apply to everyone without discrimination... incuding merchants when they buy. I wouldn't see any other type of "tax" as being beneficial to the SL economy as a whole.

Basically however, the general thought is that current L$ sinks are not sufficient to remove a glut of L$ if such should be necessary. LL can easily add L$ to the market by having major contests or even issuing bonuses. It is much more difficult to remove them from a glutted economy.

I c your point, and I'll have to agree that the basic account stipend may as well go, but it wont solve the problem coz a very large amount of people getting 500L a week out of nowhere,

most of them arnt content creators, and they dont have other sources of income, AND they dont want to do anything, they come to PLAY. I think it's unwise to hurt those, as they are (may sound a bit cold) the main source of income.

Another thing, I didnt suggested giving LL more money, not actually money that is. They should take the tax in $L...

Actually, the only "tax" that I think might work would be a sales tax, adjusted weekly according to the market value of the L$.

The tax would be paid not by the merchants, but by the buyer at the time of the sale. It thus would not cut into merchant profits, which are already impacted by the L$ devaluation (that's the whole purpose of the tax in the first place, to increase the value of the L$). Wouldn't make sense to tax merchants an income tax so that the value of the L$ would increase. The tax would have to be applied buyer side-- and thus apply to everyone without discrimination... incuding merchants when they buy. I wouldn't see any other type of "tax" as being beneficial to the SL economy as a whole.

Yes, as a merchant who buys (a lot!) I could get behind this idea. Its *fair* unlike the prim tax, the texture upload fee, the classified ad fees al of which place an unfair burden on a particular segment of content creators.

The tax would be paid not by the merchants, but by the buyer at the time of the sale.

MeLight, hate to point this out, but imho, this is totally off-base. There is not one single person on SL getting 500L a week "out of nowhere". That is their contracted stippend with Second Life and they pay for that weekly allowance. The only ones getting any L$ out of nowhere are the 50L / week Basic-freebie members.

Further, you make the claim that "most" of those who get 500L a week "arnt (sic) content creators... AND they don't want to do anything" etc etc etc. Surely you jest. First of all they pay for their membership, which is definitely doing something. In addition, many of them pay for that premium membership because they are land holders, merchants, content creators.

Sorry, unless I misunderstood something, that one was just a tad far out in left field. I don't see where you draw these conclusions.

, so they shouldnt and mustnt work coz sabrina thinks that cutting off stipends would be the best solution.

hope it made it clearer

It would be very difficult to collect this tax, though - how can the system distinguish a L$ transfer that's a "sale" from one that isn't?

Also - if the merchants aren't going to be asked to pay the tax, presumably this tax would be added on top of the prices displayed in world (because the system couldn't automatically account for all the ways people show prices: in messages, in OwnerSays, in textures etc.) which could be very messy when people find that the cost of an item varies from day to day.

Wayfinder, I've been thinking about this sales tax thing. There are those objects out there that are sold for 1L. Not many granted, but, enough maybe to make a difference. Since the L has no break down like RL money does, quarters, nickles, dimes and pennies (or whatever), it would be impossible to tax a 1L item. Not that I think a 1L item should be taxed.


Another for instance. A 25L item taxed at 10% would be 2.50Ls. A 25L item taxed at 15% would be 3.75Ls.

In other words, the tax would -have- to be a flat rate. For example, 1-25 Ls at 1L tax, 25-50 Ls at 2L tax, etc. Somehow that just doesn't seem acceptable. Maybe I'm just over thinking it.

The system could calculate tax and withdraw it from your account as soon as it hits a full dollar (as opposed to dollars and cents) value. I mean, every now and then at very random intervals LL removes 3L from my account (for what, I have no idea) as a "system" fee - I'm sure tax could work the same way.

I think LL could surely come up with a way to discern a direct L$ transfer from a purchase. For one thing, a transfer is agent to agent. A payment is object to agent.

Items on the shelves don't list the price with the sales tax added.

Wayfinder, I've been thinking about this sales tax thing. There are those objects out there that are sold for 1L. Not many granted, but, enough maybe to make a difference. Since the L has no break down like RL money does, quarters, nickles, dimes and pennies (or whatever), it would be impossible to tax a 1L item. Not that I think a 1L item should be taxed.


Another for instance. A 25L item taxed at 10% would be 2.50Ls. A 25L item taxed at 15% would be 3.75Ls.

In other words, the tax would -have- to be a flat rate. For example, 1-25 Ls at 1L tax, 25-50 Ls at 2L tax, etc. Somehow that just doesn't seem acceptable. Maybe I'm just over thinking it.

IMHO, If LL is really serious about stabilizing the linden they are going to have to start by eliminating the Basic Membership $L50 weekly stipend and any other newby startup allowance (not sure if new subscribers receive a startup allowance).

The underlying reason for a basic membership subscription offer should focus on introducing people to the basics of a Second Life experience. Free lindens are not necessary for this experience. Hundreds, if not thousands, of freebies are available in-world for new players to enjoy SL.

Once having experienced SL, if the subscriber then decides that she/he would like to upgrade from the freebie items provided, then that subscriber has several options available to her/him. These options include creating/selling content for disposable lindens, subscribing to a premium account and receiving a $L500 weekly stipend, or buying linden on the LindeX.
QUOTE]

Anyone with any marketing comprehension will know that free membership only brings you to SL, to experience it and then when you want to fully emerge into it, you go premium. Its a way of sucking you in, seducing you if you like. But ultimately the decision to go further to spend money, stipend or your own uploaded funds even on basic, which everyone does, gets churned back into the economy of SL. So it all has a positive effect to benefit the community as a whole, not a negative one.

The stipend payed to basic account members is like living on unemployment benefit, you cant really survive on it and have a true experience in SL with it. Its just there to give you a taste, to make you want more.

By the same token people a lot of people, not all, who have loads of cash come into the game and buy everything they need and dont really learn anything tend to get bored quickly. They are not bad people for doing that, unless they dump on basic account members then that is different.

If it was up to me id make everyone come to sl and not be allowed to go Premium for a period of 1-3 months so that some would look for employment, take up skills, learn careers for cash, look for all the tricks and hints to survive and over all be better sl citizens in the end and have a lot more respect for what they and others have achieved instead of being a snobbish premium member and go around dumping on newbies in the forums.

Another point is that if Free lindens are not necessary to basic members , why is the stipend of 10 times of what a basic account member receives, is given to people on premium, people that are supposed to HAVE money????

They should be removing the stipend for people on Premium, not Basic!!!!!!

So Cheyenne Marquez , with respect, cut up your credit card and get a sl job and see what others have to go through before you go round expressing your ignorant (lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified as defined by Websters) views.
For your information I was a basic account member for a long time and now am a premium member so I can see both sides with an informed view.

Anyone with any marketing comprehension will know that free membership only brings you to SL, to experience it and then when you want to fully emerge into it, you go premium. Its a way of sucking you in, seducing you if you like. But ultimately the decision to go further to spend money, stipend or your own uploaded funds even on basic, which everyone does, gets churned back into the economy of SL. So it all has a positive effect to benefit the community as a whole, not a negative one.

The stipend payed to basic account members is like living on unemployment benefit, you cant really survive on it and have a true experience in SL with it. Its just there to give you a taste, to make you want more.

By the same token people a lot of people, not all, who have loads of cash come into the game and buy everything they need and dont really learn anything tend to get bored quickly. They are not bad people for doing that, unless they dump on basic account members then that is different.

If it was up to me id make everyone come to sl and not be allowed to go Premium for a period of 1-3 months so that some would look for employment, take up skills, learn careers for cash, look for all the tricks and hints to survive and over all be better sl citizens in the end and have a lot more respect for what they and others have achieved instead of being a snobbish premium member and go around dumping on newbies in the forums.

Another point is that if Free lindens are not necessary to basic members , why is the stipend of 10 times of what a basic account member receives, is given to people on premium, people that are supposed to HAVE money????

They should be removing the stipend for people on Premium, not Basic!!!!!!

So Cheyenne Marquez , with respect, cut up your credit card and get a sl job and see what others have to go through before you go round expressing your ignorant (lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified as defined by Websters) views.
For your information I was a basic account member for a long time and now am a premium member so I can see both sides with an informed view.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry after reading this.

If it was up to me id make everyone come to sl and not be allowed to go Premium for a period of 1-3 months so that some would look for employment, take up skills, learn careers for cash, look for all the tricks and hints to survive and over all be better sl citizens in the end and have a lot more respect for what they and others have achieved instead of being a snobbish premium member and go around dumping on newbies in the forums.

Another point is that if Free lindens are not necessary to basic members , why is the stipend of 10 times of what a basic account member receives, is given to people on premium, people that are supposed to HAVE money????

They should be removing the stipend for people on Premium, not Basic!!!!!!

I appreciate this is your opinion and respect that fact-- but this is just plain sad. Premium users pay for the system the basics are using. And you're saying Linden Lab should remove one of the primary reasons people go Premium? Methinks this idea is about 2,000 pounds short of a ton.

Another point is that if Free lindens are not necessary to basic members , why is the stipend of 10 times of what a basic account member receives, is given to people on premium, people that are supposed to HAVE money????

They should be removing the stipend for people on Premium, not

Premiums -pay- for their stipends.