SLinking around the grid...

[Lindal Kidd]

...turns a dark gaze on you.

"My memory is long."

And spotty.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

10 minutes ago, Arduenn Schwartzman said:

As far as I know, this seemed to happen seemingly overnight 4 to 5 years ago. The hands and feet even 6 or 7. I'm wondering, why are you are asking about it at the end of 2022 when Slink seems to be but a memory in SL?

 

1 minute ago, Lindal Kidd said:

...turns a dark gaze on you.

"My memory is long."

And spotty.

In fairness to Lindal -- I bought my Slink Physique almost exactly 4 years ago, and at that time, and for at least the next year or so, it was still reasonably rare that I'd run across a garment in which I was interested that was not rigged for it. It was about 3 years ago that I began to notice that it was disappearing from the available options on clothing.

So, while it certainly didn't happen "overnight," I think it's more recent than 4 or 5 years ago.

When it did begin to disappear, however, it happened surprisingly quickly. It was very noticeable within a few months (although Hourglass hung on for longer).

[Theresa Tennyson]

41 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

 

In fairness to Lindal -- I bought my Slink Physique almost exactly 4 years ago, and at that time, and for at least the next year or so, it was still reasonably rare that I'd run across a garment in which I was interested that was not rigged for it. It was about 3 years ago that I began to notice that it was disappearing from the available options on clothing.

So, while it certainly didn't happen "overnight," I think it's more recent than 4 or 5 years ago.

When it did begin to disappear, however, it happened surprisingly quickly. It was very noticeable within a few months (although Hourglass hung on for longer).

Clothing makers are understandably only willing to rig for a certain number of bodies. Clothing makers started replacing the time slot they would use to rig for Physique for newer bodies in the last couple of years. Once a new body gets a certain amount of support it makes more sense to rig for it than an older body with a similar level of support because the owners of the older bodies will probably already have a usable item in the same category so they'd be less likely to buy.

Now, the reason that a Certain Women's Clothing Maker has decided to stop including Physique sizes in updated packages even though they've already done the rigging for them is brflbrblflfmrm.

Theresa Tennyson takes her hand away from her mouth -- that was close, as she's probably already on watch in this thread.

[Blaise Glendevon]

7 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

Now, the reason that a Certain Women's Clothing Maker has decided to stop including Physique sizes in updated packages even though they've already done the rigging for them is brflbrblflfmrm.

Theresa Tennyson takes her hand away from her mouth -- that was close, as she's probably already on watch in this thread.

. . .the dramatics. Jesus.

It's the self-fulfilling prophecy loop of "Nobody wears this body, including this size is useless." In most update packages, there's some change to even the bodies they already rig for. Maitreya, for example, moved the nipples of their body so incrementally that you might never notice - until you wear an old copy of the body with a piece made for the update version. And so-on. You can't just throw an old, un-updated rig into a package. 

[Theresa Tennyson]

17 minutes ago, Blaise Glendevon said:

You can't just throw an old, un-updated rig into a package. 

Why can't you "throw an old, un-updated rig" into a package for an old, un-updated body? The updates I'm referring to are when they include a new body size into an existing package, or issue re-colors/"special editions." 

Edited November 30, 2022 by Theresa Tennyson

[Scylla Rhiadra]

25 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

Clothing makers are understandably only willing to rig for a certain number of bodies. Clothing makers started replacing the time slot they would use to rig for Physique for newer bodies in the last couple of years. Once a new body gets a certain amount of support it makes more sense to rig for it than an older body with a similar level of support because the owners of the older bodies will probably already have a usable item in the same category so they'd be less likely to buy.

Now, the reason that a Certain Women's Clothing Maker has decided to stop including Physique sizes in updated packages even though they've already done the rigging for them is brflbrblflfmrm.

Theresa Tennyson takes her hand away from her mouth -- that was close, as she's probably already on watch in this thread.

Oh, I get it. I am not "complaining," in the sense of blaming creators for this. I'm even willing to accept the justification that some are giving for dropping Maitreya, despite it continuing to be the most popular body worn -- that it's a pain to rig for, and that Maitreya badly needs to update and expand access to its developer's kit. Many creators are, after all, essentially "hobbyists," and I'm not about to blame them for refusing to spend time rigging for a particular body, whatever their reason. Their time is theirs to expend as they wish, and they presumably understand the possible consequences of their decisions.

Equally, of course, there is a notable tendency for consumers to chase after new shiny. I don't always understand the reasoning: I can't explain why LeLutka has come to so completely dominate the market for mesh heads, for instance, even though I do understand the drawbacks associated with some of the main competitors.

This is just how the consumer / creator ecosystem works here. And, really, I don't have a workable alternative.