What is important to LL

I've seen a lot of discussion in these forums and elsewhere about how "we are the customer" and that is why LL should listen to us.

It's not true. LL *should* listen to us, but not for that reason. Perhaps we were "the customer" when LL was a tiny, idealistic company, but it's clear that there has been a major, perhaps inevitable, paradigm shift in LL's revenue model.

We are not the customer.

We are the PRODUCT.

LL's customers are RL businesses. What LL sells is eyes and ears. Their new revenue model depends on providing advertising space.

This is not a crackpot conspiracy theory; it's a widely recognized business model, particularly in the media. Newspapers, TV shows, news, radio, many websites... They don't sell content; that's not their product. Their product is their audience. They sell advertising space. Even major newspapers, which charge a small amount to cover printing costs, make most of their money on advertising.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. In many cases, it's a fairly healthy symbiotic relationship. Consumers get services for free or low-cost, advertisers get an audience, and the company makes a profit.

It seems pretty clear to me that LL is trying to adjust their product (us) to better appeal to their customers. That's understandable. (Of course, I happen to think they're going about some of the changes in a way which will ultimately damage their product.) They need to take a good, hard look at what makes LL interesting to people and keeps them coming back - and THAT is why they need to listen to us.

Any effort to get Linden Labs to change their practices and policies will be more effective if it starts with a recognition that we are, in fact, the product rather than the customer. How much money we spend in-world isn't that important. The number of premium account-holders isn't that important. What is important is how many people are in-world, how they spend their time, and how likely they are to patronize RL businesses which advertise in-world.

On a related note, I'm pessimistic about the likelyhood of LL providing a clear statement regarding what is and is not acceptable (and where). The reason is that, by reacting in a kneejerk fashion and issuing very, very broad and incomprehensible pronouncements regarding the rules, they have painted themself into a corner.

For example, the wording of "The Blog Post" seems to imply that BDSM and other activities which have previously been limited to Mature sims are no longer allowed anywhere in-world. It may well be that that was not the intended meaning, or that it was the opinion of one employee who was not accurately conveying company policy.

Unfortunately, they cannot now issue a statement that flat-out says that "BDSM is acceptable in mature/Adult areas." The media would have a field-day with that.

The best they can do is to come out with a more specific, and very carefully-worded list of things that are NOT allowed anywhere in SL, and that is difficult to do without mentioning examples of permitted activities for comparison. I sincerely hope that they are working on such a statement right now.

Anyway, those are my current thoughts on the matter.

I have to agree with this, what is needed is a coordinated campaign not to buy from those who advertise in SL, if LL bans everything but sex through a hole in the sheet in the dark.

I think the OP is probably right. I'd say the so-called "ID verification" confirms that point of view, and I don't for one second believe our private information will be protected in any way at all.

I'd also say that this "product" is going to dwindle if they continue on the path they seem to be laying out. I'd have to say $200/month for a sim to advertise to even the current miniscule population would be a poor investement for a real life company (they can reach far larger audiences elsewhere....perhaps even a demographic that speaks the same language), nevermind when the new restrictions make this place feel like a ghetto.

1. "We are not the customer.

"We are the PRODUCT.

"LL's customers are businesses. What LL sells is eyes and ears. Their new revenue model depends on providing advertising space."

Haha. So true.

2. I don't think the Lindens really mean BDSM is outlawed. I think they meant more of the type of thing they once banned before - a bloody dead hooker display.

(And remember, I was right when I said I thought they meant they were outlawing child-sex with avatars, not just real-life children in child porn.)

3. As for not buying anything from the corporations, I already dislike almost every one them in here just for being in here, and for paying the same price for their land to ADVERTISE A WHOLE FRICKIN CORPORATION out of their HUGE ADVERTISING BUDGET as I have to pay to run my little Coco's Cottages!

This includes products I once had a positive attitude toward.

So, like, I told my husband, never buy a Nissan again. He just laughed at me.

But I can tell you that I very much won't buy products I see here. Course, I don't go around telling people that, it is just the effect it has had on me of seeing ADVERTISERS paying RESIDENT rates instead of SPONSOR rates.

You can see I get a little riled up at just the thought.

I don't go around telling people about it because it isn't even so much a conscious choice as feeling that the corporation has ripped me off, and I won't patronize them or buy their products again.

But that won't have much effect anyhow; it's just how I feel, and I'm only one person.

coco

70% of LL's income comes from tier where individuals far outrank any corporate presence. A significant portion of the other 30% comes from L$ sales, which is again primarily individuals.

The problem is that only a small minority actually contributes anything to LL financially. If you stop buying in-world goods or cancel your rental, you don't hurt LL, you hurt the owner of the store or the landlord who has to pay tier whether they made any money or not.

LL can drive thousands of basic accounts away and it will have not have any impact on their bottom line because basics do not pay for anything and those who do pay LL directly either have too much invested to pull out, or are too "addicted" to see it through.

That's hardly a fair objection. People pay as much for their residential land as you do for your business, yet you profit off of your land while they simply live on it. Any division would be non-profit, residential/non-commercial, commercial, corporate with each category paying more than the one that comes before it.

*applauds this OP* Yes, I agree! We're the product and that product is going to go bye-bye if they keep on the path they are treading.