Sim Reservations necessary?

Im really starting to get fustrated with the land store reservation system, when I orinally picked my place on the grid, the surrounding land was fairly clear, over the past three months I have added a total of 10 sim, now Im getting boxed in not because of other sims, but because of reservations. I get a email about every month notifing me that a auction for reservations near my land has started. To me this feels alot like extortion

other than the fact LL can make a few extra bucks on reservations, and allow other residents a avenue for greifing here is no reason whatsoever for this reservation system that I can see. I was wondering if anyone else might have a good reason for this reservation system

Maybe its time to end the reservation system, and let the reservations run out without the optin to renew

I kind of 'get' the original intention for the reservation system -- I have one island and someday would like to park a second one next to it, so it would be nice to keep the gridspace I want, clear. The 'problem' is if someone parks an island just one space away from mine (obviously they can't park it next to mine due to the current rules about that), then neither of us can plant an island in the spot between the two without the other's permission. So if you have ambitions to build a small continent or archipellago or whatever, you reserve a bunch of spaces in a checkerboard pattern.

You can't start a reservation auction thing unless you already own an island, which also helps (although you can bid on them without already owning an island). But like any system, it's prone to being gamed. Although the land store FAQ says theyll take action if it's being used to extort or grief people, I guess that's hard to prove - especially if it is happening in a crowded part of the grid.

Maybe they could add a new rule to the land store, so that you can only reserve a grid space that is within two spaces of an island you already own or a space you have already reserved. And skip the auction process entirely, unless the grid space in question is within two grid spaces of islands owned by at least two different people - then the only ones eligible to bid on it are the ones who already hold land within to spaces of the reserved space.

This would a) allow you to still reserve grid spaces for future expansion plans, while b) preventing people from surrounding their enemies or competitors with grief- or extortion-reservations. Oh, and c) LL could still get their US$30 for legitimate reservations.

-Atashi