A Solution to Micro-Parcel Extortion

[Prokofy Neva]

I think...

You could make this rule:

If you set a micro parcel to sale, you cannot have a build on it.

So -- no more spinning signs, obelisks, Good Neighbour markers which aren't, etc. that force you to "buy the view" (and too often people do just that, and feed this insanity).

There's no need to have a build on a 16 or 32 or 64 meter parcel for sale. That could be the cut-off. Or even 128. If it is ostensibly "just for prims". Or if in fact it is intended for someone to buy to put up a sign -- let's see if they do. I don't think the demand is that high. The billboard ads tend to be coupled with extortionate prices, not because they are valued, but because they are deliberate nuisances and they know people will pay to get rid of them.

Someone is sure to edge-case this, but I can't think of any authentic case where you need to have a large spinning sign AND you need to have it set to sale. One or the other. It shows up on the map. There's no need even for a "for sale" sign -- one of the more ridiculous things of SL, given the map capacity, given that only the rare passer-by might see it. 

It would at least reduce some of the ugly signs and force the prices down most likely.

Not a total solution -- it would be better if the Lindens policed this better AND displaced it by creating their own networked, paid, roadside billboard ad system. 

But it could work.

[Lucia Nightfire]

[Prokofy Neva]

16 hours ago, Lucia Nightfire said:

Let me quote the inimitable Cyn Linden, who was VP of Customer Relations in 2010:

"What are you doing on that 32 m2 parcel, your knitting?"

[Lewis Luminos]

I've had the same idea before, and would love it to be implemented. Just make it impossible to set a parcel for sale if there are any prims on it. Put all the required info in land description, no need for notecard givers or anything else. And make it also impossible to rez anything on a parcel already set for sale. Size shouldn't matter, whether it's 16m or 65,000. There is no such thing as "passing traffic" in SL. The only purpose of a sale sign is to extort the neighbours who are already there.

It does mean that the sales of parcels including fully furnished houses are no longer possible but they are of limited use anyway, if you keep the house you can't set auto-return, and half of those are dodgy anyway because the seller is charging extra for a parcel that's already decorated, while the buyer isn't always aware of the disadvantages entailed. If you want to supply fully furnished parcels you should be renting them, not selling them.

But, yeah, when pigs fly. Never gonna happen.

17 minutes ago, Prokofy Neva said:

Let me quote the inimitable Cyn Linden, who was VP of Customer Relations in 2010:

"What are you doing on that 32 m2 parcel, your knitting?"

I remember that. 

[Lucia Nightfire]

You'd have better luck LL changing behavior on parcels with 0 return time to reduce grief/litter.

Oh wait, no you wouldn't. https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/BUG-4153

[Mollymews]

3 hours ago, Lewis Luminos said:

Just make it impossible to set a parcel for sale if there are any prims on it

needs to be a way to transfer a fully rezzed parcel to another entity (alt account, friend, or group)

is this reason why 0 return time is  set when a parcel is set for sale. So that the stuff is not automagically removed when next parcel owner (alt account, friend, group) becomes the new owner

 

[Lewis Luminos]

7 hours ago, Mollymews said:

needs to be a way to transfer a fully rezzed parcel to another entity (alt account, friend, or group)

is this reason why 0 return time is  set when a parcel is set for sale. So that the stuff is not automagically removed when next parcel owner (alt account, friend, group) becomes the new owner

 

That's easy then - if it's set for sale to a specific avatar, then prims are allowed. If it's set for sale to anybody, then they're not.

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

Yeah it really is extortion. 

Edited June 30, 2021 by Ingrid Ingersoll

[Maitimo]

7 hours ago, Ingrid Ingersoll said:

Yeah it really is extortion. 

Which fails miserably against anyone using Firestorm.

Derender, Blacklist.

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

Is that not possible in the sl viewer?

[Sister Nova]

5 hours ago, Ingrid Ingersoll said:

Is that not possible in the sl viewer?

No

[BJoyful]

On 6/28/2021 at 9:00 PM, Prokofy Neva said:

The billboard ads tend to be coupled with extortionate prices, not because they are valued, but because they are deliberate nuisances and they know people will pay to get rid of them.

I feel the same way!  Whenever I come across an abandoned micro-parcel adjacent to land we buy I Join it to the rest of the parcel so no one is even tempted to think of putting an ad on it.  It's like YouTube and other online products advertising an ad-free rate.  How sad that if we don't want to have IN-MY-FACE ads we have to pay for that also... it's not really a choice anymore it's just another over-priced utility bill and a frustrating expense.

[BJoyful]

On 6/29/2021 at 6:48 PM, Mollymews said:

needs to be a way to transfer a fully rezzed parcel to another entity (alt account, friend, or group)

There is a sort of work-around which we use often and I learned about it from our Mainland Specialist Landscaper & Builder.  Set the land for sale, including Objects, to the person you want to sell to and ask what Group they want to set their land to (or which Group they want to purchase the land for)  Have the Seller(Owner of the object(s) you wish to transfer) join that Group and Set all objects to the new Group and Share them in Edit>General.  Have the purchaser buy the land and continue to use all the Shared objects as they are now shared with the new Owners Group.  Share will allow anyone with the Group tag to edit modifiable Objects but not to Copy copyable objects unless the Owner gives you Edit rights (not recommended for more than short periods of time, though!  Use with caution and remember to Revoke the privilege as soon as possible to keep the peace ☮️🕊️

Oh!  ...and leave the land set with the default settings until you check that all is correct... then set your land options and set a 1 min (or reasonable Objects Return time 

Edited July 1, 2021 by BJoyful
Every Owner of rezzed Objects you wish to Transfer will need to do this!

[BJoyful]

I should have also mentioned that the Seller is free to leave or be ejected from the Buyer's Group as soon as all parties have checked that nothing was missed and all the objects will remain in the Buyer's Group and nothing will be Returned by our ever-so vigilant and compulsive tidiness guru, Governor Linden♥  My goodness that hamster is EVERYWHERE, all the time!  Whatever she eats, I'd try it to get that kind of energy 😉