Turn On Fly Or I Won't Buy

[Prokofy Neva]

I'm thinking of starting a group by that name with that title above my head! Who's with me?!

I am so tired of going to events or to stores where "fly" is turned off. It's truly the most ridiculous thing and has no reason to it that I can see. SL avatars are avian creatures. The giant stores parked in the middle of beautiful ocean beaches all over SL with open-air multi-floor buildings are made by people who grasp a simple rule: if you can fly up directly to a vendor instead of struggling to walk, let alone climb stairs, you will buy more. It's easier and freer.

Given that some stores and events have "fly" on and keep it on and others don't, there really is no justification for turning it off. It's not like those who have "fly" turned ON somehow have less sales or more griefing (if that's the reasoning) -- they likely have MORE sales because it's more of a convenience to shoppers.

Do owners imagine that they stop griefing this way? But griefers can override the settings of legal viewers and grief in other ways besides flying, and would be expelled hopefully quickly (although owners and staff often aren't on site). Griefers are a tiny percentage of visitors so it is not merited.

By allowing fly,  you help free up the pile-up at the landing point. While there is no injury in a virtual world, still, psychologically people get really annoyed if you land on their head or bump them.

Fly helps you rise above the laggy and crowded floor to cam around, and zip around big sims which are pretty but a real chore to stump around on your two avatar legs.

Perhaps store owners imagine that if they turn off fly, they prevent people from quickly zeroing in on only their favourite merchant, or only that one thing they want to buy. They force them to walk past other offerings and maybe make an impulse buy.

This technique is at least 150 years old, and I believe it was introduced by the department store magnate Johnny Wanamaker, AKA "Wannamaker Buy" (about the housewives who frequented his stores), along with the "99 cents" price tag that made you imagine you were getting a bargain, compared to a dollar.  The idea is that if you force the shopper past displays, there will be make more purchases, especially small ones (which is why all the gum and candy and tabloids are by the cash registers).

This is the theory behind hunts as well -- if you get them in the store, while they are looking for the little snowflake or heart or elf or bell, they will also hit the gatcha machines a few times at the very least or maybe by a $399 chair. And they aren't wrong about this although most people likely only come in to grab the free or cheap hunt gift and get out.

But really, especially in a virtual world where you CAN fly, it is so primitive and I think futile to have these forced-marches past merchandise you don't want. You end up not even going to the event if you know they have fly turned off.

This being the forums with contrary regulars, no doubt readers will be found who imagine turning off fly is "vital" and certainly in that glorious realm of virtual law called "I get to do WTF I want on my land."

But they really should reconsider. When you can't fly, you also fit in less events. It's too much of a chore. Right now, I'm avoiding "Lag and Cam", as I've dubbed the Lindens' event, because "fly" is turned off (unless it is really on, but so laggy you can't tell).

Many people discuss how they park themselves at laggy events and cam-shop even on the original sim, let alone a cam-shopping sim. I always feel there is something humiliating about cam-shopping sims and simply wait for a few days to go by.

Yes, there is something to be gained from walking around the whole event, I totally get it. Yet especially on your SECOND trip to an event, you want to be able to FLY.

For events that span 10 sims or more, it's insane to turn off fly. The best sort of events are those that either alphabetize the merchants, or put their logos on a big board with a TP that takes you directly to their booth. The merchants who send out DIRECT landmarks to exactly their gatcha or booth are the ones whose groups I stay in and whose wares I buy, because I don't have to comb through laggy sims never finding them.

I've noticed that some major events like We ❤️ RP that used to have huge layouts, sometimes even over several sims, which made it a huge chore to try to find things, even by camming, have tended to scrap this method and opt for large domes in one place rather than rows that you have to struggle to walk up and down. This has made it so much easier and more enjoyable to shop. And they save on sim tier.

[Lindal Kidd]

I don't need to protest.  I simply override the no-fly zone (CTRL+ALT+V).  If the owner notices and kicks me off, no loss to me...and lost sales to him.  Problem solved, without acrimony.

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

54 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

I don't need to protest.  I simply override the no-fly zone (CTRL+ALT+V).  If the owner notices and kicks me off, no loss to me...and lost sales to him.  Problem solved, without acrimony.

Same here. Even had one shop owner PM me "Since you violated my no-fly zone rule --- you have been ARed."  I about fell out of the seat laughing.

[Cinos Field]

More than once I've been asked to not fly in extremely expansive stores, at which point I teleport home and spend my money elsewhere. It's just one of those things.

One of my favorite furniture stores has flight disabled but the landing point is fixed on a bridge well outside of the actual store, meaning without flight you need to run for like 15 seconds to  even see any vendors. I always fly. That one has, at least, never complained about it, but it makes me question why they disable flight to begin with.

[Alyona Su]

36 minutes ago, Cinos Field said:

More than once I've been asked to not fly in extremely expansive stores, at which point I teleport home and spend my money elsewhere. It's just one of those things.

One of my favorite furniture stores has flight disabled but the landing point is fixed on a bridge well outside of the actual store, meaning without flight you need to run for like 15 seconds to  even see any vendors. I always fly. That one has, at least, never complained about it, but it makes me question why they disable flight to begin with.

Yeah, they are *still* fixed on trying to generate traffic, as though that actually means anything with regard to a retailer of products, where the actual quality and want ability of said products matter just a little bit more. Which is among the reasons I try to stay exclusively at Marketplace. Otherwise CTRL+ALT+V is your friend. LOL

[Desiree Moonwinder]

2 hours ago, Lindal Kidd said:

I don't need to protest.  I simply override the no-fly zone (CTRL+ALT+V).  If the owner notices and kicks me off, no loss to me...and lost sales to him.  Problem solved, without acrimony.

I'm glad my third party viewer makes that easy.

[Fritigern Gothly]

5 hours ago, Cinos Field said:

One of my favorite furniture stores has flight disabled but the landing point is fixed on a bridge well outside of the actual store, meaning without flight you need to run for like 15 seconds to  even see any vendors. 

... or cam to a chair (lucky chair will work) and sit on it.
 

[Seicher Rae]

Must be a slow day to get a two-page wall of text for this non-problem.

[Pamela Galli]

My store has no roofs. It is designed for flying and camming. In all these years I have been in business, no one has asked where to find something. 

[Ceka Cianci]

I'd much rather be able to fast port to spots than fly..

It would be nice if the places that didn't want fly, would open up the fast port..because walking in place gets old really fast..

hehehehe

[animats]

There are jetpacks available in SL.

 

[Marianne Little]

11 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I'd much rather be able to fast port to spots than fly..

It would be nice if the places that didn't want fly, would open up the fast port..because walking in place gets old really fast..

hehehehe

Yeah, that's a thing. A venue has its homepage listing direct teleports to the vendors/stalls. Yet, the venue has direct teleport turned off! This is something I loathe. Some moron think that forcing me to walk in a maze-like structure with grey vendors, shall set me in a shopping-happy mood so I buy a lot more. 😡

I know about the turn on beam option. It helps, but these venues is often big, so I must walk through a quarter or a half region. When I bought what I came there for, I can't get out fast enough.

It is 2 fails in one. I am both forced to spend more time there (finding the vendor) and so annoyed that I will not look at other things. While instead, if it is easy to find the items I came there to buy, I have free time to stroll around with a positive attitude.

If I am forced to look for the vendors, then I am holding the spot for another customer that can't teleport in. And I don't buy more because I am not in a benevolent mood when I find what I came to buy. That is what I mean with 2 fails.

[Cindy Evanier]

Doesn't bother me if I can't fly.  Truth is when I was a noob and didn't know how to cam, I would fly right up to a vendor and hover.  Until someone IM'd me and explained camming and how people would laugh at noobs flying right up to vendors to buy.  Ever since then I cam shop from an empty spot, sit on something to get closer or walk around.   As someone who can't really walk much any more in RL, I find it quite unbelievable people rant about walking in SL especially when you can overide it. 

[Pixie Kobichenko]

Just move from the landing zone & cam? 🤷

Edited December 15, 2019 by Pixie Kobichenko

[NancyPelosiTraitor]

its because they got bot farms in the air.

[Alyona Su]

6 hours ago, Pamela Galli said:

My store has no roofs. It is designed for flying and camming. In all these years I have been in business, no one has asked where to find something. 

This is because you get it, observing rule number one in all laws of business: Make it easy as possible for me to give you my money.

[Tolya Ugajin]

6 hours ago, Pamela Galli said:

My store has no roofs. It is designed for flying and camming. In all these years I have been in business, no one has asked where to find something. 

And it's a good thing, too - you have so much great stuff and, what, 4 sims of it?

[Whirly Fizzle]

@Prokofy Neva

You can still fly in no-fly land on the LL viewer.
The advice given above only works on Firestorm, so here are the steps for the LL viewer.
Obviously you run the risk of getting slapped & land banned if the land owner sees you flying in a no-fly zone, so use at your own risk.

• Activate the Advanced menu in the top menu bar using CTRL+ALT+V.
• Advanced -> Show Debug Settings -> Set the debug setting AdminMenu to TRUE
• Activate the Develop menu in the top menu bar using CTRL+ALT+Q
• Develop -> Tick "Show Admin Menu".
• You can now fly in no-fly zones.

 

[Qie Niangao]

20 hours ago, Prokofy Neva said:

The merchants who send out DIRECT landmarks to exactly their gatcha or booth are the ones whose groups I stay in and whose wares I buy, because I don't have to comb through laggy sims never finding them.

Probably some merchants don't realize that this is helpful even in regions with telehub routing or set landing points because the merchant-specific location will still be highlighted as the destination (the red beacon, arrow, and circle on the MiniMap) even if the avatar has to start elsewhere in the region.

I generally try to be flying before I teleport anywhere because it makes it easier to escape a crowded landing zone. If I arrive flying it's pretty difficult for them to drop me, short of booting me from the sim altogether.

[Selene Gregoire]

12 hours ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I'd much rather be able to fast port to spots than fly..

It would be nice if the places that didn't want fly, would open up the fast port..because walking in place gets old really fast..

hehehehe

If you use FS, just turn on double click teleports, then cam to where you want to go and double click the floor or ground. If I need to adjust my cam after tp I just hit the left and right arrows simultaneously to reset.

Prefs > Move & View > Movement

Quote

• Single click on land: Clicking a spot on the ground can either do nothing, or cause you to walk to that spot.
• Double click on land:

  Double clicking a spot on the ground can:

  • Do nothing
  • Cause you to walk to that spot
  • Teleport you to that spot. (See also the Firestorm Bridge.)

Single click to walk, double click to tp. \o/

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

21 hours ago, Prokofy Neva said:

I'm thinking of starting a group by that name with that title above my head! Who's with me?!

I

That doesn't annoy me as much as no direct tp and making the event 200+m from the landing spot... I do tp out of there though.

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

26 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

If you use FS, just turn on double click teleports, then cam to where you want to go and double click the floor or ground. If I need to adjust my cam after tp I just hit the left and right arrows simultaneously to reset.

Prefs > Move & View > Movement

Single click to walk, double click to tp. \o/

that doesnt work if they have direct tp disabled or whatever that options is that keeps taking you back to the landing spot.

[Pussycat Catnap]

I don't really think about this much.

That said I do have 'Area Search' as one of my side buttons. When I go somewhere I open that, type in what I desire, turn on beacons, and cam to it.

When I go somewhere with a lot of products I want to see an explore... I tend to have flight off. I think this is why some merchants do this - they don't see the value of my first use case (a guaranteed sale), and only see the value of my second use case:

- have me explore around and get ideas and MAYBE be inspired to buy something... or even to buy something from a competitor... This is what walking does... it inspires me to new ideas. But those ideas might not always be yours. Many times I will see something, click it, realize it's decor you bought... and go buy it as well... somewhere else. BUT there is value here... in waling around and being inspired I will buy products from you I had not thought to get when I first went there. Walking lets me see them as I would most likely experience them in my own build...

But yes... if I know exactly what I want... area search, cam, buy, TP out.

So it's a non issue for me... but I also see that disabling it only hurts sales... I -CHOOSE- the experience it walking, I find it immersive. Don't force that choice though...

 

- Some people use the same location for a shop and their private space... I guess this is why they turn off fly... I have to say though that if I go to a shop and I see the other avatars on the radar are the shop owner and maybe someone else far away in a skybox... I often leave... I feel like I am either intruding, or being monitored... So long way around... if you disable fly so you can have private space... it's still hurting your business... for a connected other reason...

 

 

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

21 hours ago, Prokofy Neva said:

you want to be able to FLY.

 

[Anna Nova]

21 hours ago, Lindal Kidd said:

I don't need to protest.  I simply override the no-fly zone (CTRL+ALT+V).  If the owner notices and kicks me off, no loss to me...and lost sales to him.  Problem solved, without acrimony.

after all these years, and I still discover new stuff.  Didn't know about CTRL+ALT+V.

Although I just don't shop at 'those kinda stores'....