'Inventory flattening'

[Ceka Cianci]

2 minutes ago, TimKoul said:

It could be unrelated but I only know what I have been told and yes, its very awful. All I am saying is this should have been handled differently in a way that gives users ample time to fix it themselves. A lot of people didn't even know about it. Thats neither LL's or their fault. I am simply saying there are better and more modern ways to let people know. Log-in pop ups are the best option for something like this because if youre going to mess with peoples inventories, you really want to maximize the reach as best you can. Thats all I am saying.

I had a suggestion back in the first thread about them doing this.. make it like a region restart notice with that ding going off.. Then if anyone complains, it sure won't be about not being notified.. I mean unless they were away from SL for like a year.. lol

[TimKoul]

2 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I had a suggestion back in the first thread about them doing this.. make it like a region restart notice with that ding going off.. Then if anyone complains, it sure won't be about not being notified.. I mean unless they were away from SL for like a year.. lol

That is actually a great idea. I would combine this with the log-in pop up.

[Keira Linden]

10 minutes ago, TimKoul said:

It could be unrelated but I only know what I have been told and yes, its very awful. All I am saying is this should have been handled differently in a way that gives users ample time to fix it themselves. A lot of people didn't even know about it. Thats neither LL's or their fault. I am simply saying there are better and more modern ways to let people know. Log-in pop ups are the best option for something like this because if youre going to mess with peoples inventories, you really want to maximize the reach as best you can. Thats all I am saying.

Hi TimKoul,

Actually, anyone affected was contacted by the Support team via email several weeks before we ran the automated process, in addition to the posts on the Blog, SL University,  and social media.  As hoarders of inventory ourselves, we completely understand the anxiety this type of operation can invoke, so we did our best to get the word out in as many places as we could as quickly as possible.  If you weren't contacted by Support (and be sure to check your email Spam folder to be sure), then you were not affected and the repair would not be run on your account at this time.  As others have suggested, missing inventory can be from several different causes, so contacting Support is the best way to see if there any help we can offer.  

I hope that helps to shed some light on how we approached this.  As always, Support is more than happy to answer any questions you may have.  And we're a little more reliable than the rumor mill.   😁

[Solar Legion]

It is simple: Pay attention.

Posts were made to Facebook and Twitter. They were made across several communication avenues. There is no need whatsoever for a pop-up for such a thing to be displayed before one even logs in.

As was also noted, e-mails went out to those who might be affected. Again, pay attention.

If you cannot ... Well there's a lot more wrong then.

[TimKoul]

22 minutes ago, Keira Linden said:

Hi TimKoul,

Actually, anyone affected was contacted by the Support team via email several weeks before we ran the automated process, in addition to the posts on the Blog, SL University,  and social media.  As hoarders of inventory ourselves, we completely understand the anxiety this type of operation can invoke, so we did our best to get the word out in as many places as we could as quickly as possible.  If you weren't contacted by Support (and be sure to check your email Spam folder to be sure), then you were not affected and the repair would not be run on your account at this time.  As others have suggested, missing inventory can be from several different causes, so contacting Support is the best way to see if there any help we can offer.  

I hope that helps to shed some light on how we approached this.  As always, Support is more than happy to answer any questions you may have.  And we're a little more reliable than the rumor mill.   😁

Hi Keira, 

Well, thank you for responding. I wasn't contacted but even if I was I wouldnt have seen the email in time. Its an old email I use and I always get junk mail from LL (transaction notices and such) so I dont really bother checking it. I still suggest the in-world "dings" and log-in pop ups to better notify people. My friend did say she hardly checks her email too so i'm assuming most people simply dont.

But this problem does, and is, causing a bit of anxiety in people because its random. No one really knows if they are going to be "hit". The word is spreading for others to check their email however, so I suppose thats good. 

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 minute ago, TimKoul said:

<snip>
Its an old email I use and I always get junk mail from LL (transaction notices and such) so I dont really bother checking it.
<snip>
My friend did say she hardly checks her email too
so i'm assuming most people simply dont.

I think your assumption would be wrong, especially based on the number of threads that we get from folks when IMs and Group Notices that are suppose to go to email don't due to some SL hiccup or another.

[TimKoul]

6 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

It is simple: Pay attention.

Posts were made to Facebook and Twitter. They were made across several communication avenues. There is no need whatsoever for a pop-up for such a thing to be displayed before one even logs in.

As was also noted, e-mails went out to those who might be affected. Again, pay attention.

If you cannot ... Well there's a lot more wrong then.

Not everyone checks their email religiously as much as you apparently do. The normal user simply...logs in. Thats why most game apps make use of in-world notification systems which is something SL could benefit from.

[Solar Legion]

That's nice.

I don't care. 

Pay attention.

Oh and don't try and claim to know what a "normal user" does.

[Love Zhaoying]

15 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

That's nice.

I don't care. 

Pay attention.

Oh and don't try and claim to know what a "normal user" does.

Thank you for bringing your usual brand of "sanity" to the discussion. 

There's just no pleasing some people. 

[Solar Legion]

Just now, Love Zhaoying said:

Thank you for bringing your usual brand of "sanity" to the discussion. 

There's just no pleasing some people. 

For some things, I try to keep it simple and to the point. There is no sense beating around the bush in some situations or when responding to some.

It would not matter how many notifications nor how many different ways to deliver said notifications were implemented - there are some who simply will miss every one of them or skip right on by them in their rush.

[Love Zhaoying]

1 minute ago, Solar Legion said:

For some things, I try to keep it simple and to the point. There is no sense beating around the bush in some situations or when responding to some.

It would not matter how many notifications nor how many different ways to deliver said notifications were implemented - there are some who simply will miss every one of them or skip right on by them in their rush.

Subtext, according to the attitudes: It's someone else's fault, because they simply can't be bothered.

[Solar Legion]

Just now, Love Zhaoying said:

Subtext, according to the attitudes: It's someone else's fault, because they simply can't be bothered.

Ah yep.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

I'm going to come down somewhere in the middle on this one (and no doubt earn a scorn laugh or two, but I'm tough! I can take it! DO YOUR WORST!)

Facebook and Twitter are lousy ways to get information out to the SL community as a whole, or to individuals within it. Very few SL residents have Twitter, relatively speaking. More will have Facebook, but not necessarily for their SL accounts -- and burying something in the endless torrent of garbage that is the typical Facebook news feed isn't very effective.

I am going to guess that a hefty majority of residents barely even know that the SL blog exists.

Emails are an effective way to send out information -- to individuals, and I have less sympathy for someone who was notified in this manner and didn't notice.

But the reason we have a "rumour mill" churning out misinformation about this process is that the information has not been disseminated widely enough. I'm pretty sure that had I asked aloud in chat at the club I was at last night how many people knew that LL was doing this, most people would have responded with something like "Huh? What?"

It's not really good enough to say that it's their fault, even if in some sense it is. If you are not reaching the majority of people you are supposedly serving, and misinformation is causing panic or upset, then, frankly, it's your fault, and you need to find better ways to communicate with your customers. Effective communications in such a context is just good business.

Otherwise, this smacks a little of the "Wait? You didn't read Sec.5 Subsection XIII.1 Article "F" of the ToS, where it explicitly says this? Well, it's YOUR fault then!"

It strikes me as ridiculous that SL, which is, among other things, a kind of social network, can't find better means of communicating using its own platform. Relying on 3rd party social media platforms to get the word out broadly is, frankly, ridiculous.

LL needs to do better.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Scylla Rhiadra

[Rowan Amore]

Most people don't even bother reading the pop ups when logging in so even that avenue is a no go.

If you don't check anything in order to be informed about what's going on anywhere, how is that NOT a YOU problem?

We had a similar situation in my town.  Our city owned electric was raising prices.  They sent an insert with each and every electric bill AND a separate letter to each address for those in apartments where utilities were included so everyone was aware.  You should have seen the outrage in the paper from people.  When explained that every resident was informed, most twice, a lot of responses were, "I always just throw out all that stuff that comes with the bill." And, "it was addressed to Resident so I probably just tossed it out."

No matter what avenue LL chooses to distribute information, some people just won't bother reading it or looking for it.  

 

[Nalates Urriah]

Isn't the information age wonderful?

[Ceka Cianci]

1 hour ago, TimKoul said:

That is actually a great idea. I would combine this with the log-in pop up.

It wasn't a really serious suggestion, but one I just thought I would throw in there back then.. Mainly because I don't believe it would ever really happen  hehehehe

[TimKoul]

45 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

That's nice.

I don't care. 

Pay attention.

Oh and don't try and claim to know what a "normal user" does.

Well youre just a brilliant ray of sunshine aren't you?

[Scylla Rhiadra]

2 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

Most people don't even bother reading the pop ups when logging in so even that avenue is a no go.

If you don't check anything in order to be informed about what's going on anywhere, how is that NOT a YOU problem?

We had a similar situation in my town.  Our city owned electric was raising prices.  They sent an insert with each and every electric bill AND a separate letter to each address for those in apartments where utilities were included so everyone was aware.  You should have seen the outrage in the paper from people.  When explained that every resident was informed, most twice, a lot of responses were, "I always just throw out all that stuff that comes with the bill." And, "it was addressed to Resident so I probably just tossed it out."

No matter what avenue LL chooses to distribute information, some people just won't bother reading it or looking for it.  

 

Well, of course there will always be people who don't pay attention.

I still find it absurd that a platform that is, among other things, preeminently about social interaction and communication, can't communicate effectively with its own customers using its own platform. It's just palpably ridiculous.

And, again, LL ultimately loses by it, because "rumours" and "misinformation" destabilize the community and create panic and misunderstanding unnecessarily. A good business doesn't look at an upset customer base and shrug it off with "Well, it's their fault." It finds ways to rectify it.

[TimKoul]

3 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

It wasn't a really serious suggestion, but one I just thought I would throw in there back then.. Mainly because I don't believe it would ever really happen  hehehehe

Probably not, but still a good idea. They do need to implement some kind of in-world notification system though.

[Solar Legion]

As stated in an earlier response: When responding to some ideas (and sometimes types of people) I simply do not mince my words.

[TimKoul]

1 minute ago, Solar Legion said:

As stated in an earlier response: When responding to some ideas (and sometimes types of people) I simply do not mince my words.

I don't care.

[Solar Legion]

1 minute ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Well, of course there will always be people who don't pay attention.

I still find it absurd that a platform that is, among other things, preeminently about social interaction and communication, can't communicate effectively with its own customers using its own platform. It's just palpably ridiculous.

And, again, LL ultimately loses by it, because "rumours" and "misinformation" destabilize the community and create panic and misunderstanding unnecessarily. A good business doesn't look at an upset customer base and shrug it off with "Well, it's their fault." It finds ways to rectify it.

A good business does not bend over backwards in an attempt to please each and every single "upset customer" nor do they bend over backwards to try and get those who cannot possibly be bothered to do anything at all to be informed.

Exactly what ways would you suggest be implemented?

[Dakota Linden]

Greetings, All!

We are going to lock this thread since it has run its course. 

As Keira made very clear, those who were affected by this issue were contacted through the email address on file for their account. 

If an email address is outdated, or the user chooses not to check the email address linked to their account routinely, then there is a very good chance that they will miss pertinent information regarding their account/s. 

It behooves users to ensure that they stay informed about their accounts. 

Information was also posted to Second Life Social Media channels regarding the issue as well.  While we appreciate that not everyone monitors the various Social Media options, again, as a user, it behooves one to at least attempt to stay informed about issues that may affect them or their accounts either by monitoring the Social Media accounts available through their preferred Social Media if they use those apps, monitoring the Blog, or both. 

Please keep in mind that a very small number of users are/were affected by this issue and due diligence was made to reach out directly to those affected users to alert them. 

If your own inventory was affected and you have questions or concerns, please file a Support Ticket and an agent on the appropriate team will be able to assist you as quickly as possible. 

If you believe that Linden Lab should use other means of communication because you do not monitor the existing various channels, please feel free to submit a Jira Feature Request.