What *IS* a "land baron"?

With this logic, If I buy an outfit from a designer, and theres a problem like the vendor doesnt vend my product, or it's no mod doesnt fit my avi, and the designer refuses to refund me or make the situation right, then obviously ALL designers are evil.

This does look the fault of the island seller. A decent seller would give you your money back from the proceeds of the sale as you originally paid for that area. The new owner would have paid full price for the island but you are sat on a quarter of it, they would be losing out to just give you that piece, so maybe now charging you rent as well as tier?

Sorry to hear you found yourself in this situation, does make people a little more wary of buying on islands.

Well no actually Sarah using that analogy, it would be the equivalent of a designer that created a skin that you have used for a long time, your character, that people recognize you by. And then haveing the ability to suddenly start charging you to use it because of a new SL/Designer fair market deal. Well then your forced to make a decison to either maintain who you are for a price, or create a new look. You decide well.. that "one" designer is "evil" so im just going to go change my looks and "rent" a new skin for a moderate upfront fee because of the price of skin "ownership" is way to high for a R/L single mother. Then a skin broker comes along and buys that persons inventory which is a real asset because Linden Labs is only allowing X number of new skins to be created. Its hard to call that person evil because a person with alot of money to invest is buying up all the skins and making even more money, gives him a offer he cant refuse. Now that same R/L single mother that justs want to play on the computer and look pretty is forced to roam the metaverse as a pair of eyeballs and mini skirt because LL has discontinued the free "newbie skin program" and the game is just too expensive to have a skin. Soooooo are all skin brokers "evil" probably not but when everyone is a set of eyeballs and a mini skirt with horror story to tell it sure makes you think so. I'm thinking going to Walmart and buying "the sims" is sounding better all the time. T2

On February 22, LL changed the definition of a land baron as follows:

Prior to the 22nd, a land baron assmassed property two ways, (1) consolidating 512 lots originally released as first land, and (2) purchasing large ownerships, usually island estates, directly from LL. Now, it appears that Land Barons are responsible for breaking land up and making it available to the average resident who can only afford, and realistically needs, less than 2048m.

It used to be that some Land Barons, or real estate agents, performed a service by linking up land held under single 512 ownerships into larger plots more lucrative to businesses and wealthy residents. It used to be that, through hard work in game, anyone could rise up from the ranks purchasing land.

Now, it appears Land Barons are simply people with USD wealth who invest in the game and make a profit by breaking up large chunks of land and reselling -- or renting -- it to the little guys. Many are motivated out of desire to recover their USD investments, and, few, except for the goods ones, add any value to the land. Most try to maximize their investments by selling all land for as much as they can, skimping on the things that make for a nice neighood, like public open spaces, roads, parks, and public access to water.

Formerly, land consildators starting consolidating land around their own first land. They spent time on the property, building it .. getting to know their neighbors. Now, Land Barons frequently have no intention of residing in the area.

Many of us, including myself, are opposed to post Feb. 22nd Land Barons because it's a less demoratic model for land distribution, one that favors the wealthy .. the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. We are speaking up whenever we can hoping LL will change its land distribution model to one that puts the rich and poor on a more egalitarian playing field.

Little Gray

WTF?

Just for the record -- I wasn't ever intending to cast aspersions upon Sarah Nerd when I started this thread. (Indeed, if you look above, I made reference to her in a positive light.)

Just to make sure there's no understanding!

I rent land from one of the private Sims that Sarah owns (NineInchNerds), and can recommend her as a reasonable landlord. The rental is all up front and week-to-week (or month-to-month if you prefer), so if she later decides to change the Sim into something else, you won't be out any money except what you paid for the use of the land you've already enjoyed. (And, given that Sarah is a longtime stable SL user, I would be surprised if I had to give up the land any time soon!)

-Rob

In case anyone wants to make sure they aren't unknowingly in the presence of a land baron I Googled up some pictures of land baron's avatars and here's two representative images:

The one above is kinda upbeat looking.

The one below is more menacing looking. According to reports, the avatar depicted below is the land baron alt of a high ranking Linden:


The image below is an artist's rendering of a land baron's RL self while logged into Second Life:

Of course, if you're in the market for land and you see one of these around you might want to ask if they have any good deals on parcels.

Well .. Anshe isn't the only one who started out small.

A land dealer's (or land baron or baroness, if you insist) reputation counts just as much as the price, imho. It's easy enough to find out reputations, as you can see from reading this thread. A quick addendum to caveat emptor: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read land covenants. I know I've spent hours crafting mine. It's there for a reason.

Well I love you how you played the single mother card. Nice pull on the heartstrings. I'm also a mother, a stay at home mother who found a way to help support my family, slowly over time by building up my holdings in second life. I didnt bring my rich evil ass here. I came in here with utiltys being shut off on a regular basis and worked my way up to being able to buy the auction sims. Land can in no way be compaired to skin. You dont "need" land like you need skin for 1. And when you get down to it, when you start your provided with everything you "need" to play. Everything else is just icing on the cake. So posible the sims is a better place. You can set aside all the freedom and oppurtunity sl provides and stand around poinlessly making jars of jam in your avatar that looks identical to at least 3 others standing around you and not have to worry about silly things like supply and demand or evil brokers keeping you from what you "need".