In my post yesterday I wrote some initial thoughts on the openspace sim pricing and policy change controversy and there is an excellent roundup of reactions from Vint Falken.
I'd like to share some further thoughts today. As I said previously, LL can and will do whatever it pleases. But there are consequences to actions that go too far. Most notably, the loss of content and community cohesion.
Linden Labs: "Are they stupid or something?"
I don't think they're stupid at all. I think this is part of a deliberate strategy and it's about more than just the Void Sims.
I think the new people in charge of LL care little or nothing about hobbyists and social networkers on the grid. I wonder if they would rather see a grid community full of corporate reps and tech journalists chatting endlessly about server capacities and new ways to increase usage of virtual worlds. Well duh! LL seeks to destroy the very things that bring a wide range of people into virtual worlds in the first place! If that's what you really want, use a video-phone and chat with each other all frakking day. Roleplayers of any type/degree are in the way of their vision. I believe they may be thinking "If you care so much about your little RP/hobby, then put-up or shut-up"
Void Sims: Raise prices on all to punish the few
Why would they do this? Because they don't care what's destroyed in the process. Not their problem. If a few beautiful or interesting places are decimated in order to kill whatever is causing server-strain (or whatever the excuse is), so be it. This is their nuclear option, folks.
The Opening Salvo
These actions are all part of the new SL. We either adapt or we leave. For now I'll adapt and live with these changes until such time as my friends are gone from the grid or it no longer interests me to login.
I see a bleak future for SL. What was once a beautiful, compelling, raucous, sensuous, erotic, fantastic, intellectual, geeky, wondrous place....will make the long march toward a Disney-fied blandness. A place acceptable to businesses and political activists. A place where LL will not be embarrassed by media attention. A place where those left behind must hire people to create content, because no one will do it on their own. A grid where the residents who remain are concerned about building community after they've chased the community-builders away.
I'm not suggesting this will happen next week. I see this happening over the next 18-24 months. I hope I'm wrong.
Yesterday I ended my post with this:
The Big Question:
Is LL still friendly toward hobbyists within the grid? Will aviation in SL be encouraged?
Or perhaps it's their intention that the only aviation-related activity allowed to flourish will be Boeing and Airbus business meetings?
My interests are obviously aviation-related, but insert whatever passion you have to replace mine and create your own question and answer.
But if things go the way I see them going, perhaps the avatar of Zoe Connolly can persuade Boeing to setup a few sims for business meetings. Zoe can be the hostess, and maybe...perhaps maybe, we can still fly our lovely machines through Windlight skies.
6 comments:
I see a bleak future for SL. What was once a beautiful, compelling, raucous, sensuous, erotic, fantastic, intellectual, geeky, wondrous place....will make the long march toward a Disney-fied blandness. A place acceptable to businesses and political activists. A place where LL will not be embarrassed by media attention. A place where those left behind must hire people to create content, because no one will do it on their own. A grid where the residents who remain are concerned about building community after they've chased the community-builders away.
Well said. This has been in the works for a long time, through a mix of carelessness and calculation on the part of the Lindens.
It's not time to go yet, but it's time to start looking for the next world, even if that world doesn't exist yet.
But if things go the way I see them going, perhaps the avatar of Zoe Connolly can persuade Boeing to setup a few sims for business meetings. Zoe can be the hostess, and maybe...perhaps maybe, we can still fly our lovely machines through Windlight skies.
But is that all Zoe is, is she who flies? What about the Zoe who loves and dreams? Will there be a place for her in the boardrooms and cubicles of the "new" SL, or will she be locked away to wait for a new world?
Argent wrote: "But is that all Zoe is, is she who flies? What about the Zoe who loves and dreams? Will there be a place for her in the boardrooms and cubicles of the "new" SL, or will she be locked away to wait for a new world?"
Not to worry, Argent. Zoe *is* more than that...and like you, I seek a new virtual world. Perhaps one that's still an outline on a cubicle computer somewhere ;)
Not to worry, Argent. Zoe *is* more than that...and like you, I seek a new virtual world. Perhaps one that's still an outline on a cubicle computer somewhere ;)
Good ^_^ Drinks are on me when we get to the next world, then. In the meantime, let's enjoy this one.
Best,
Argent
Captain or Stewardess, I'll still salute you.
-ls/cm
YES, YES, YES.
You've said it perfectly and concisely. It doesn't matter if *this* policy is the product of stupidity or calculation, any more than it did if the last one was, or the inevitable next one.
What does matter is that nearly every public statement out of SL, from Mitch Kapor on down, has indicated that they want us gone, all gone, gone now, so they can pursue their dreams of corporate legitimacy free of the freaks, geeks and queers.
Hopefully, we'll be able to oblige them in *our* time, in an exodus to a better land, and not forced out by some act truly intolerable.
Preaching to the choir. And I will take you up on that drink and buy the second round, Argent.
I think this might be a good time first of all to bring up a few things. LL is sadly mistaken if they think there is much commercial interest in the serious use of SL for webconference as there are many solutions that are low cost and less heavy on the resource use with better features than those provided by SL, and with less potential as a time waster. I point this out as someone who currently makes a very nice living setting up said solutions for a variety of commercial interests. If nothing else, the current financial climate means companies are increasingly unwilling to shell out for upgrades.
Second, there are other grids out there now with MUCH less expensive sim purchase and maintenance fees. Certainly those others aren't perfect, but then, neither was SL and we all came and made homes and friend circles for ourselves there. Probably the main thing is we have circles of friends in SL now we hate to leave behind. We know for most of us, it is a choice to either suck it up and put up with LL, or suck it up and put up with leaving our friends behind and starting over in a new virtual world.
One thing that is beginning to swing things is the ability to transport content from SL to the other grids. Far from perfect at this time, but there is some ability to do so, and work continues to improve this. Perhaps what is needed now is a few brave souls to strike out in these new lands, as some of my friends have done, and blogs detailing their brave deeds.
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