Another Interview With Ebbe

[Perrie Juran]

Most is just repeats of previous statements:

http://blog.zoha-islands.com/ebbe-alberg-speaks/

[CheriColette]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

Most is just repeats of previous statements.......

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Yes but thanks for posting. Perrie.

 

[Parrish Ashbourne]

Interesting quore in there about about High Fidelity

"Ebbe: We have a good relationship with Philip Rosedale and the High Fidelity team and we expect that to continue, but there are no real plans to establish a partnership at this time."

They don't need a partnership to start developing then next SL with HI it's open source, a partner ship might come later if HI needs some of LL's hardware.

The next SL could be a mix of SL2.0 and HI features, I'd be more shocked if the SL2.0 has noting to do with HI, some of the open sims are all so all ready working with HI.

[MBeatrix]

Thanks, Perrie.

For a CEO, I believe that "leak" was a dumb thing to do. I mean, how can they expect now that people put money into SL when something else is coming? Especially a system that won't be compatible... Also, how can we expect SL being improved when only a small maintenance team is working on it? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

[Theresa Tennyson]

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MBeatrix wrote:

Thanks, Perrie.

For a CEO, I believe that "leak" was a dumb thing to do. I mean, how can they expect now that people put money into SL when something else is coming? Especially a system that won't be compatible... Also, how can we expect SL being improved when only a small maintenance team is working on it? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

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The didn't say it won't be compatible; they didn't say it will be compatible. What they said was they won't make the new platform worse than it could be only to guarantee compatibility. There may be a fair number of objects, etc that can transition over and they've talked about connecting accounts. However, they won't jump through hoops to make sure that every full-bright poseball museum of a sex club that hasn't been changed since 2008 will work the same way. To which I say, "Halle-frickin'-lulia." There are many, many things about Second Life that really need complete revisiting twelve years later and can't be fixed on the fly.

I came to Second Life from the Sims series, starting with the original Sims game. The standard Maxis/EA practice is to expand each release with packs of new features until the game engine starts clanking audibly and then develop a new version which they tend to announce quite a while in advance (the Sims 4 is coming out in September. It was announced in May of last year.) 

In the original version of the Sims had a fairly large Sims community (by original game standards) and several expansion packs. Maxis/EA announced the Sims 2 a fair amount of time before it was ready. I was reluctant to change because I knew some of the features I built my neighborhood on wouldn't be in the new platform yet, if ever, but when I saw how much better the Sims 2 was than the Sims 1 I not only re-created my community, I made it much deeper and more developed. (My organizational chart reached about six pages of graph paper. I really don't want to talk about how many families I juggled by the end.)

However, when the Sims 3 (the Rod Humble version, incidentally) came out, I explored the new system but decided it wasn't good enough of a change to recreate things, and in fact for my particular way of doing things it was a step backwards. I stayed with the Sims 2 for several years and only stopped playing through my neigborhood because I found Second Life to be much more interesting by then. I wasn't the only one by any means.

The basic engineering of Second Life is a contemporary of the original Sims game (i.e. when my Sims ran around in an isometric 2D world, basically) and the engine has always clanked audibly - we've just gotten used to it. The forum mantra is always "Don't change things - just fix the bugs!" A lot of the bugs in Second Life can't be fixed without making major changes to everything and it will be far less disruptive to make the changes in parallel than to grab the entire grid, turn it upside down and shake it and see what still hangs on, which is what they'd need to do to make major changes to the existing grid.

As far as the timing, I'm sure the current level of BAWWWWW would be exactly the same if developments on the new system continued in secret until it was sprung on everyone full-blown without anyone being able to have any input in it.

[MBeatrix]

Yes, Theresa, I can easily agree with most you wrote, and I also understand that to make the system work better many parts of it need to be redone from scratch. The thing is, I believe those interviews were a shot on his own foot, business wise — they would make me feel excited about it all if I were 16 years old, but I'm not. Putting more money into SL? From now on I'll think several times before buying anything, and probably won't do it at all until I'm sure it will be portable.

[Parrish Ashbourne]

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MBeatrix wrote:

Yes, Theresa, I can easily agree with most you wrote, and I also understand that to make the system work better many parts of it need to be redone from scratch. The thing is, I believe those interviews were a shot on his own foot, business wise — they would make me feel excited about it all if I were 16 years old, but I'm not. Putting more money into SL? From now on I'll think several times before buying anything, and probably won't do it at all until I'm sure it will be portable.

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The timing is interesting before the slip there had recently that week been some stories and videos interviews about high fidelity in an open sim platform, the leek may have been a way to say that LL it working to keep up, and will put pressure on LL to develop it faster.  It sounded like some of the new features would be able to be added to the old SL as well.

 I don't think this will be theend of SL for several years, just because the new platfrom will likely require higher hardware standards to run, and many people wont be able to just rush out and buy a new computer.  All so looking at the history of SL I don't expect the new SL or hight fidility to roll out as a finnished product.

Buying land certenly looks like a bad investment in SL right now, I would expect to see the prices of the set up cost to drop it thers a huge drop in land sales, and LL would be wise to let people know ASP what will be transferable, but I expect there's a lot of trouth in them saying it too early to tell.  But here's my blind guess, or a list of question LL needs to answer ASP

-Prims are likely gone, but can all ready be converted to mesh in the current SL all thou permissions and who created it  is a factor but that could change for importing to the new SL where ownership dosen't change.

-sculpt maps will likely be gone, it was just  a stepping stone to mesh.

-rigged and fitted mesh likely to need to be rerigged or fitted to new avatar, or updated to new standards.

-if avatar height is corrected then animation may need to be adjusted, all so if the bone structure changes.

-Changes to or replacement of LSL, possible addition of javascript for compatibility to high fidelity?

 

[Pamela Galli]

I can see a scenario where the current SL residents will splinter into three groups, including HiFi

[MBeatrix]

The timing is interesting before the slip there had recently that week been some stories and videos interviews about high fidelity in an open sim platform, the leek may have been a way to say that LL it working to keep up, and will put pressure on LL to develop it faster.

Yes, that makes sense, and I've been following it. The problem is that it is probably going to retract the market... As I wrote, I'm not 16 years old, and If I were I wouldn't be in SL for sure — there's a big world out there waiting to be discovered.

I believe most SL users — serious users — are people over 40, who don't get excited anymore with some "leaking" announcement. Over the years we tend to become conservative and to see our dealings as investments. If all the money and time we put into something all of a sudden becomes obsolete, then probably the best is to drop the product for good and find something else to do or somewhere else to go to.

 

It sounded like some of the new features would be able to be added to the old SL as well.

Maybe, maybe not... I sure hope so, though. But I understand that isn't good to sacrifice the reliability of a new system for compatibility with an old one, and that only makes me apprehensive. I really don't feel like starting over again, and I'd rather leave it for good if — unlike Mr. Altberg says — SL is replaced by whatever is coming.

 

Buying land certenly looks like a bad investment in SL right now, I would expect to see the prices of the set up cost to drop it thers a huge drop in land sales, and LL would be wise to let people know ASP what will be transferable, but I expect there's a lot of trouth in them saying it too early to tell.  But here's my blind guess, or a list of question LL needs to answer ASP

-Prims are likely gone, but can all ready be converted to mesh in the current SL all thou permissions and who created it  is a factor but that could change for importing to the new SL where ownership dosen't change.

-sculpt maps will likely be gone, it was just  a stepping stone to mesh.

-rigged and fitted mesh likely to need to be rerigged or fitted to new avatar, or updated to new standards.

-if avatar height is corrected then animation may need to be adjusted, all so if the bone structure changes.

-Changes to or replacement of LSL, possible addition of javascript for compatibility to high fidelity?

I can only subscribe what you wrote. yes, since they were in a hurry to announce a new era, then they must hurry explaining how it is going to be and what SL users can count on. I know that at the present stage it will be hard for them to know exactly how it is going to be, and that's another reason why I think it was dumb on their part to come out with all that. If they can't tell what we can or cannot do they are going to lose some substancial income. They probably only wanted to shake the market and test its pulse, but only got part of that same market fearing what's coming.

[Parrish Ashbourne]

I think your completely right I can't see any scenario with out some degree of that happening.  An other thing I think will happen more, that some of us all ready do, is to be in more then one world, if you all ready have a lot in one world, then use it as your home world, if your looking to socialize go to the world where all the people are.

[Parrish Ashbourne]

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MBeatrix wrote:

The timing is interesting before the slip there had recently that week been some stories and videos interviews about high fidelity in an open sim platform, the leek may have been a way to say that LL it working to keep up, and will put pressure on LL to develop it faster.

Yes, that makes sense, and I've been following it. The problem is that it is probably going to retract the market... As I wrote, I'm not 16 years old, and If I were I wouldn't be in SL for sure — there's a big world out there waiting to be discovered.

I believe most SL users — serious users — are people over 40, who don't get excited anymore with some "leaking" announcement. Over the years we tend to become conservative and to see our dealings as investments. If all the money and time we put into something all of a sudden becomes obsolete, then probably the best is to drop the product for good and find something else to do or somewhere else to go to.

 

It sounded like some of the new features would be able to be added to the old SL as well.

Maybe, maybe not... I sure hope so, though. But I understand that isn't good to sacrifice the reliability of a new system for compatibility with an old one, and that only makes me apprehensive. I really don't feel like starting over again, and I'd rather leave it for good if — unlike Mr. Altberg says — SL is replaced by whatever is coming.

 

Buying land certenly looks like a bad investment in SL right now, I would expect to see the prices of the set up cost to drop it thers a huge drop in land sales, and LL would be wise to let people know ASP what will be transferable, but I expect there's a lot of trouth in them saying it too early to tell.  But here's my blind guess, or a list of question LL needs to answer ASP

-Prims are likely gone, but can all ready be converted to mesh in the current SL all thou permissions and who created it  is a factor but that could change for importing to the new SL where ownership dosen't change.

-sculpt maps will likely be gone, it was just  a stepping stone to mesh.

-rigged and fitted mesh likely to need to be rerigged or fitted to new avatar, or updated to new standards.

-if avatar height is corrected then animation may need to be adjusted, all so if the bone structure changes.

-Changes to or replacement of LSL, possible addition of javascript for compatibility to high fidelity?

I can only subscribe what you wrote. yes, since they were in a hurry to announce a new era, then they must hurry explaining how it is going to be and what SL users can count on. I know that at the present stage it will be hard for them to know exactly how it is going to be, and that's another reason why I think it was dumb on their part to come out with all that. If they can't tell what we can or cannot do they are going to lose some substancial income. They probably only wanted to shake the market and test its pulse, but only got part of that same market fearing what's coming.

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I'm 47 and I'm very excited about this I've been waiting for years for my "Sino-Logic 16, Sogo-7 data gloves, GPL stealth module, Burdine intelligent translator, and some Thompson eye-phones"

The problem of investing time and money in any thing based on computer technology is that it's the pace of change is so fast you have to think of the age of some technology it terms of dog years, last years cell phone is 7 years old, and SL 77 years old lol .  but last years cell phone still works it's not obsolete it's just not as shiny.  I do think or hope the new SL will last even longer,  the first time around SL was truly an experiment, at lease this time they are starting with past knowledge, hopeful this is applied to how to make it more scalable and adaptable for the future

I certainly think it will have an impact on the economy, but how much or what parts of it is hard to tell.  I think buying new land at this point is a bad idea, but may actually be good for the land barons, and that's LL gets most of their direct income from, people will be more likely to rent then buy land now.  At least on the main land I think LL was all ready preparing for this for some time, I've noticed there is a very large amount of abandoned land that has been reclaimed by LL and not set to sale a lot of it has been sitting there for over a year or more.

[MBeatrix]

I'm 47 and I'm very excited about this I've been waiting for years for my "Sino-Logic 16, Sogo-7 data gloves, GPL stealth module, Burdine intelligent translator, and some Thompson eye-phones"

LOL

 

The problem of investing time and money in any thing based on computer technology is that it's the pace of change is so fast you have to think of the age of some technology it terms of dog years, last years cell phone is 7 years old, and SL 77 years old lol **Only uploaded images may be used in postings**://secondlife.i.lithium.com/i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif" border="0" alt=":smileyhappy:" title="Smiley Happy" />.  but last years cell phone still works it's not obsolete it's just not as shiny.  I do think or hope the new SL will last even longer,  the first time around SL was truly an experiment, at lease this time they are starting with past knowledge, hopeful this is applied to how to make it more scalable and adaptable for the future

 

All that is true, but there is one small detail missing there: besides the phone still works, it is something essential, and SL isn't — at least not for me as a mere consumer (and for many thousand users that won't even come to these forums.)
Well, yes, I do hope whatever grid the Lab keeps running can last for a long time, and it's inevitable that SL as we know it changes... or is replaced. As the CEO wrote — and I agree — if it isn't the Lab doing it, someone else will (I wonder if the "leak" was the Lab's reaction to HiFi project.) But dropping a "bomb" and providing no additional info — I insist — was a dumb thing to do.

 

I certainly think it will have an impact on the economy, but how much or what parts of it is hard to tell.  I think buying new land at this point is a bad idea, but may actually be good for the land barons, and that's LL gets most of their direct income from, people will be more likely to rent then buy land now.  At least on the main land I think LL was all ready preparing for this for some time, I've noticed there is a very large amount of abandoned land that has been reclaimed by LL and not set to sale a lot of it has been sitting there for over a year or more.

Dunno if LL has been keeping large chunks of mainland abandoned for that reason or not, but I know some full regions that have been kept that way for over one year.
I don't think the impact on the economy will be only concerning land, though. My favourite boat builder may come out with the most wonderful sailboat, but I won't be buying it without knowing if it can be ported to the new grid or if I get a free update there. Someone must commit to compatibility or replacing what users lose... Whether it is the Lab or the builder, I don't care, but I do want a commitment that is more than some nice but vague words, or else I won't be buying it — period.

 

[Suspiria Finucane]

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MBeatrix wrote:

 

For a CEO, I believe that "leak" was a dumb thing to do.

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I disagree, it wasn't a leak at all. No time or place would be perfect for everyone so there was as good as any place.

[MBeatrix]

If it was a deliberate action, then it clearly shows that Mr. Altberg's reality belongs to a totally different universe than the one that puts money into his pockets — which is even worse, coming from a CEO.

The timing was deeply wrong. He may have shot to death an economy that took years to be built and thrive, the very same economy that could help financing the new platform — I doubt it will happen now, due to his poor timing choice.

[Phil Deakins]

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MBeatrix wrote:

If it was a deliberate action, then it clearly shows that Mr. Altberg's reality belongs to a totally different universe than the one that puts money into his pockets — which is even worse, coming from a CEO.

The timing was deeply wrong. He may have shot to death an economy that took years to be built and thrive, the very same economy that could help financing the new platform — I doubt it will happen now, due to his poor timing choice.

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It was deliberate and I am quite sure Mr. Altberg is quite capable of knowing what "puts money into his pockets" and how to take care of it

When would you have had him announce it then? A year from the launch? Some would have made the same criticism then as now. A few months from the launch? Some would have said that it should have been earlier so that everyone can prepare. At the launch? Some would have said that he's stabbed us in the back. There is no time for disclosing it that would suit everyone. Whenever it was announced, there would have been plenty of criticism.

As for shooting the economy in the foot, what exactly do you mean? Creators will sell less and make less money? That's not a catastrophe. If the annoucement came closer to the launch, then loads of buyers would have spent money on things that they'll get much less use from, and would have liked to have known that before buying. Don't forget, the economy is about buyers, not sellers.

As I said, there is no time that would suit everyone, so now is just fine. Imo, it's better now than later. Creators have a long time to consider what they will do, and buyers will currently have a couple of years or more out of their purchases, and can decide to wind down buying things as the time approaches.

All in all, I think now is a good time. A year before the launch, or even 6 months before the launch, would also have been a good time. Much later than that would have been bad, imo.

ETA: I said that there would be plenty of criticism whenever the announcement was made. All the criticisms I've seen in the various threads have been about the money that users have spent in SL and the creations that people have made in SL. If all of that is lost, it's not catastrophic. The money has been spent on enjoyment of the present (the times when each bit of money was spent) - never as an investment for the future. So that can be written off quite happily; i.e. they've had their money's worth out of it all. Creations made money for the creators while they were selling them, so that's fine too. They had their financial rewards for their creations. I honestly don't see either of those as being cause for complaint. Nevertheless, some of it may be transferable to SL2.

I do see a possilble unfairness for sim owners who bought from LL. Not the tier, because they've had the full use of that. It may be that LL will do something about the outlay by allocating the same amount of land in SL2, and allowing the landowners to just continue with the tier ot whatever system they come up with. We've no idea about that yet, and probably neither has anyone at LL.

[MBeatrix]

Don't forget, the economy is about buyers, not creators.

You're partially right, but don't YOU forget that buyers only buy if someone creates stuff to be bought. And yes, as a buyer, from now on, I won't be buying anything else that can or cannot be ported — we just don't know, all we know is that it's going to be better... Supposedly.

When someone talks about a product and all they can say about it is that it will better, that doesn't benefit the exist product nor the one that may be coming out someday... or may not. Certainly, it doesn't make the company's image any good, nor makes the sales shoot up. That was a totally wrong business decision — since there isn't much more they can say than "it will be better" — no matter if it was a slip or something deliberate. Mr. Altberg can say whatever he wants now, but the damage is done. I hope I'm wrong, though...

[Phil Deakins]

I'd leave LL's business matters to LL. They know far more about what they're doing than any of us do.

If SL2 is anything like SL, then creators will be creating there, so its economy should flourish. The economy of SL1 doesn't matter to us. If people buy less, creators earn less. That's not a problem at all. The economy only becomes a problem if it affects LL to the point of not being able to continue, and I think we can happily leave that side of LL's business to them.

[MBeatrix]

I'd leave LL's business matters to LL. They know far more about what they're doing than any of us do.

Sorry, Phil, that's the exact same attitude as leaving politics to politicians because "they know far more about what they're doing than any of us do." Well, I don't, if that has some impact in my life. But, of course, you and I see and feel Second Life in a much different way...

If SL2 is anything like SL, then creators will be creating there, so its economy should flourish.

Yes, I'm hoping that and also that some — or most of them — provide free updates to the products we purchased in "SL1" and I know that creators/merchants will go where the market is, unless they are so discouraged by the treatment — and losses — they previously had that they just drop that business and move to something else.

The economy only becomes a problem if it affects LL to the point of not being able to continue

That's exactly what worries me some. If I'm in SL and not in any other grid — nor I intend to — there must be a reason. No more virtual life for me after this one, I can assure you. Which, maybe, isn't a bad thing...

[Phil Deakins]

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MBeatrix wrote:

I'd leave LL's business matters to LL. They know far more about what they're doing than any of us do.

Sorry, Phil, that's the exact same attitude as leaving politics to politicians because "t

hey know far more about what they're doing than any of us do." Well, I don't, if that has some impact in my life. But, of course, you and I see and feel Second Life in a much different way...

The difference between politicians and LL is that we can vote polititians out of office but we can't do anything to affect the LL personel. As you say, we do see and feel SL better than LL people, but that doesn't mean we know more about what LL can afford to do. None of us know better than LL about that.

If SL2 is anything like SL, then creators will be creating there, so its economy should flourish.

Yes, I'm hoping that and also that some — or most of them — provide free updates to the products we purchased in "SL1" and I know that creators/merchants will go where the market is, unless they are so discouraged by the treatment —

and losses

— they previously had that they just drop that business and move to something else.

I've been a creator-seller (merchant) for over 7 years and I can see it as merchants see it - or could see it if they choose to look with anything other than self-centred eyes. We've been given at least 2 years notice of SL2, plus an assurance that SL1 will continue alongside it until it's no longer worthwhile keeping it running. What I've made in the past, I've made plenty of money on, and will continue making money on for at least another 2 years. If I lose all my creations then, they had a darned good run, and been very profitable for me, so I'll have nothing to complain about.

No creator will have any losses at that time.

The complaint I've seen concerning creations is that they will likely have to create stuff again for SL2 - stuff on which they've already made plenty of money for their efforts. To that complaint I say, "aaaw - poor babies".

The economy only becomes a problem if it affects LL to the point of not being able to continue

That's exactly what worries me some. If I'm in SL and not in any other grid — nor I intend to — there must be a reason. No more virtual life for me after this one, I can assure you. Which, maybe, isn't a bad thing...

I have no doubt that LL is well aware that a few people will stop buying stuff, and I have no doubt that they know it won't be a problem.

Imo, the effect on sales will be minimal at this stage, because SL2 is very long way off. Before then, people will buy things, use them, and stop using them, and all long before SL2. As the launch draws near, sales will, of course, deteriorate, but it won't damage LLs ability to run SL1 and launch SL2. And creators will be in SL2 like a shot, the moment they can get there, because they know it will succeed. They know that the population will go from here to there. Some creators were in Blue Mars and Inworldz just in case either of them succeeded. Neither did, but creators who are in it to make money will be where a market may blossom, and such a market is guaranteed in SL2. Some may whinge now but it's only because they can see themselves having to create the stuff again (poor things). But it's just a self-centred objection. They've already made money on their creations, and they'll continue making money on them for a long time yet. I have no sympathy with that particular objection.

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[Perrie Juran]

I think you are dismissing the effect on users a little too much here.  And by users I mean both Merchants and Consumers.

Certainly I have gotten a lot of enjoyment in the present but I don't buy things with just gratification in the present in mind.  I think about future use also.  It would be a pretty rare  thing for me to buy something for a one off use.  So the current announcement is going to affect my buying habits.

You are right that many Merchants still reap profits from things they made years ago.  But what happens to that income when consumer confidence is shot?  What about someone starting up a business today?  There's a storm that is going to need to be rode out.  Maybe it will turn out to be only a refreshing Summer rain.  Or it could be more turbulent than that.

Certainly it is always wise to prepare for a storm.  But no matter how much you prepare, sometimes storms catch you by surprise, unprepared and with out shelter in the great outdoors.

 

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

I think you are dismissing the effect on users a little too much here.  And by users I mean both Merchants and Consumers.

Certainly I have gotten a lot of enjoyment in the present but I don't buy things with just gratification in the present in mind.  I think about future use also.  It would be a pretty rare  thing for me to buy something for a one off use.  So the current announcement is going to affect my buying habits.

You are right that many Merchants still reap profits from things they made years ago.  But what happens to that income when consumer confidence is shot?  What about someone starting up a business today?  There's a storm that is going to need to be rode out.  Maybe it will turn out to be only a refreshing Summer rain.  Or it could be more turbulent than that.

Certainly it is always wise to prepare for a storm.  But no matter how much you prepare, sometimes storms catch you by surprise, unprepared and with out shelter in the great outdoors.

 

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I don't spend enough time or money in-world to worry about this. But I don't think my purchasing habits would change much. I don't generally buy stuff for today only, but I don't buy it for a year or two out either. And I imagine it'll be that long before SL2 draws me away from SL1, if something else doesn't get me first.

I didn't stop investing in SL when other competing virtual worlds were announced, let alone pre-announced. The fact that LL is pre-announcing doesn't change a thing for me.

For some time, I've been searching for an explanation for the slow to non-existent progress in SL. Now I have one!

ETA: I've grown up making transient art. Snowmen, sand-castles, carved pumpkins, crop circles, and (lately) community stage sets. SL is the same for me.

[Phil Deakins]

Yes, I am dismissing the effect on merchants and consumers because I see it that way.

Consumers: We have at least 2 years notice of it happening, and the cost of the things we've bought, and will buy before then, is more than adequately compensated for in the amount of pleasure those things have given us through the years. It's been a very cheap passtime. As of right now, we all have at least 2 more years to get pleasure out of the things we've bought. That's on top of the time that we've already had pleasure from them. Even for something that costs 2 or 3 thousand L$, that's a mere 8 or 12 US$, and there aren't many items we buy that cost anywhere near that much or more. So, given that that we have at least 2 more years of enjoyment, on top of what we've already had for each item, I do dismiss the consumer part.

Creators: If consumer confidence is shot now (and I don't believe it's significantly shot at all), then merchants' incomes will be lowered from now on. That's only a problem for those merchants. If a few of them rely on income from SL for their RL living, then they've built their reliance on sand, and they would surely have known that, since it's a virtual worrld system, they should not have done that. Profit on it, yes, but not rely on it for RL. So, it would be extremely unreasonable for everyone if LL decided not to go ahead with SL2, just because a few people in SL1 need the money.

Storms: Yep. There's a storm a-brewing, but not for a long time yet - at least 2 years. When it comes, it will be quite frantic for creators, getting stuff made etc. for SL2. It won't affect consumers much because they'll just stop buying much. This is just my imagination but I do believe that LL will give creators a lot of information about what will work in SL2 long before the launch, and probably even a beta place to test stuff in. If that happens, then, for the general user, it'll just be a case of logging into SL2 and using it. Yes, they won't like leaving their inventories behind, but they will have had loads and loads of pleasure out of stuff they bought in SL1. It will still have been a cheap hobby/passtime while it lasted, so I don't see any cause for complaint.

[MBeatrix]

If our political participation would begin and end on elections day, you know what would happen, don't you? We can — and should — express our opinions and demonstrate, peacefully but firmly. And there is always something we can do about what we believe is wrong... In the present case, if I'd want to go to an extreme, I would advise everyone I know to stop putting money into SL... Which I won't — I'll renew my annual premium membership and keep my small parcel in mainland, unless something dramatic happens. But I won't be buying anything else.

Yes, you got a good point there, about merchants. Still, as you know, many of them have shops inworld and pay the correspondent tier. What if they close and stop paying? Two years is a long time and a lot of money to pay the tier without having a substantial income.

Your opinion is different than mine in quite a few things because your perspective is different, and that's healthy. But nothing you can say makes me believe that what Mr. Altberg just did wasn't one of the dumbest moves in the recent business history. Was he just being honest? I don't know, but there's nothing more stupid than having good intentions screwing it all up. Mr. Altberg opened Pandora's box and it's only fair that he has now to deal with the demons.

[Phil Deakins]

Yes we can and should express our opinions. I agree with that whole-heartedly.

Judging by another thread, it seems that the runours are having an effect - one person's marketplace sales down to 1 in the day when it's normally ~35, and another person losing 80 tenants since Monday. Those may coincidence or they may be caused by unfounded rumours - people believing that something is going to happen that isn't going to happen. It it's the latter, then I believe it will settle down as people in general get to understand what's happening, and that there will be no changes for at least 2 years.

I did learn one thing from a post by Ebbe. He said that some stuff will be able to go over to SL2. My stated opinions about buyers and sellers were based on if no stuff can go over. So it's better than I was thinking.  He doesn't yet know what will go across but at least some stuff will.

Like you, I have no plans to get rid of my piece of mainland. Also, I have no plans to change anything I do as far as my inworld store is concerned (I've never sold in the marketplace - on principle ). I'm in the process of updating and improving an item, and I'll continue to do that, and other things. I have no intention of offering replacements for SL2 yet. It's at least 2 years away, and, imo, there is no need to do anything like that until maybe it's 6 months or less away. I may not even have a store by then. I've been letting it fade away for about 3½ years. I'm only keeping it going while it makes worthwhile RL money, and it's taking a very long time for it to stop doing that. But it may close before SL2 comes along. Even so, I still think it's way too early to make any changes to anything we do.

We'll have to agree to disagree about whether or not now was a good time to announce SL2

[MBeatrix]

Judging by another thread, it seems that the runours are having an effect - one person's marketplace sales down to 1 in the day when it's normally ~35, and another person losing 80 tenants since Monday. Those may coincidence or they may be caused by unfounded rumours - people believing that something is going to happen that isn't going to happen. It it's the latter, then I believe it will settle down as people in general get to understand what's happening, and that there will be no changes for at least 2 years.

It is too early to know. A few days of low sales mean nothing concrete.

 

I did learn one thing from a post by Ebbe. He said that some stuff will be able to go over to SL2. My stated opinions about buyers and sellers were based on if no stuff can go over. So it's better than I was thinking.  He doesn't yet know what will go across but at least some stuff will.

Of course he doesn't know, or else he would have it announced. He's just speculating like everyone else... OK, not like everyone else, his speculations are at a different level and start from a different insight on it all, but they still are speculations, and that's exactly where I believe he went wrong — he should have kept his mouth shut until he'd have something concrete to tell the world... At the very least, something more than "it will be better." There's a saying in my native language that goes like this: "bitches in a hurry [female dogs] give birth to blind puppies" (not sure if that makes any sense for you, but it's the best translation I can do.)

I never took a single cent out of SL, nor have I ever intended to. The few L$ I ever made in SL — mostly from tips at my bistro — were spent in SL, improving the environment in my parcel as much as my prim limits allow. And I even plan getting some more land, if a parcel contiguous to mine becomes vacant (the whole sim is taken.)

 

We'll have to agree to disagree about whether or not now was a good time to announce SL2

Yep. :matte-motes-smitten: And, for me, the timing was only wrong because the CEO had nothing concrete to say.