No More Free Lunch

[Ceka Cianci]

1 hour ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I very much would have liked to give the OP the benefit of the doubt, and assume that this proposal was simply poor considered, or badly expressed.

Unfortunately, the language of the second paragraph of this screed -- terms like "Linden shills and free thinkers," and most especially "free loaders" -- pretty much makes that impossible. What this reeks of is a sense of entitlement and privilege, duly paid for. It reminds me of the sort of person who, without any authority whatsoever, stops a scruffy looking person from leaving a grocery store in order to demand to see their receipts for the items in their shopping buggy.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the OP will prove I'm wrong by returning to clarify, or even maybe backtrack and apologize? Cuz, she's certainly insulted a lot of people here.

I hope so.

Honestly, I didn't even think it was a serious post as absurd as it read.

It came off as more of a, Lets see how many forum pages we can generate out of this topic, kind of post.. hehehe

ETA: Dammit, after saying that, I went and started page three! \o/

Edited May 19, 2023 by Ceka Cianci

[Gwin LeShelle]

14 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

The mystery for me is, how can something seem almost thoughtfully written but have not capital letters? Maybe translated from a language without capital letters, or Shift Key broken?

I guess it beats "all caps", and at least wasn't against a blinding white background, all in one paragraph as a single run-on sentence with no punctuation and bad spelling. Could be worse. 

Probably something like chatgtp 😂 even the trolls are lazy nower days tsk

[Love Zhaoying]

5 minutes ago, Gwin LeShelle said:

Probably something like chatgtp 😂 even the trolls are lazy nower days tsk

That occurred to me also! "Write a forum post using no capital letters, arguing for removal of all free accounts". 

[Rat Luv]

9 hours ago, EnCore Mayne said:

it'd be just like the Teen world. not sure how that worked or what it was like

This bit made me 

[Devilgrey]

before i started paying for premium, spent anywhere from $10-100 a month depending on what i was buying. i only switched to premium bc all jobs wages are crappy where i live. i just wait until i have enough lidens to buy whatever i want, occasionally buying extra lidens when i feel like it. but all in all, i've cut my spending on sl significantly.

so the op is obviously trolling. there's no way premium users spend more, unless someone pays for premium in addition to also owning estates, renting land, or buys a truck load of stuff that the liden stipend cant cover.

considering premium users live in premium neighborhoods, op could restrict socializing only with the users in those areas???? but that's boring

 

Edited May 19, 2023 by Devilgrey

[Aiyumei]

It sounds to me like great way to kill SL.

 

[Sid Nagy]

10 hours ago, SabrinaCooke said:

OP must bored, because this honestly just reads like troll bait to me.

It is this weeks Friday post.

[Sid Nagy]

I need a LH to feed my business with new products, otherwise I would drop the premium membership on the spot.
The Belli home is the only thing of value for me from the premium package.

From the 16 years in world I had maybe 5 years a premium account, but I almost always spend enough money for a 4096 m plot of private land. And most of that rent goes into LL pockets.

People who are longer than a few weeks active in SL contribute somehow to the business. No doubt about that.

Sorry to say so, but separating the account types is one of the worst ideas that I read in a long time.

[Love Zhaoying]

11 hours ago, EnCore Mayne said:

after much inspired thought [we've got some good bud here at the grocers (only in Canada, eh?)]

Even though several of you quoted this, I missed the point.

I think the OP was inspired by "blunt" force trauma.

 

[Love Zhaoying]

I posted in the "Shovel" thread and referenced this thread with: "TANSTAAFL".

"TANSTAAFL" is an acronym for an old saying, "Their Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch".

Pronounced: "TAHN-staffle".

 

[Theresa Tennyson]

12 hours ago, EnCore Mayne said:

i do believe, after much inspired thought [we've got some good bud here at the grocers (only in Canada, eh?)], it's come to the time to revolutionize the world, once again.

let me explain:

we have in fact two worlds. 1. free accounts, and 2. paid accounts.

i'd like to hear what the Linden shills and free thinkers have in mind when the discussion comes to separating the free loaders from the paid participants. aside from the technically inevitably insurmountable issues, could we not have total separation of the account species while still keeping whatever use the free accounts are known for. it'd be just like the Teen world. not sure how that worked or what it was like in comparison to the main grid, but i do know they ran concurrently. not like the botched separation of the adult content (and that might be another category for a separate world too) but there'd be a locked door on who's to enter from one grid to another.

should the paid accounts want to frolic in the midst of the unpaid account world they would, by virtue of their account status, be able to log in to either world at will. it'd just be another grid on the viewer's grid dropdown option. all inventory and land assets would be preserved and maintained (unlike the Beta to Main grid methodology). any land assets rezzed in the free world could equally be rezzed in the paid world.

free world accounts that stubbornly cling to the old ways of enjoying any and all comforts in the existing world situation would no longer have the privilege of sharing the unbounded glory of what comes from being in the paid account world. such a shame would be world shattering and would elicit a substantial boost from free to paid account signups. given sufficient advance warning of the new world order to come i'm sure the empty map would soon flourish with creative potential. perhaps the contracted moles could lend a hand in setting up some themed realms (like the Horizons and Bellisaria spaces). perhaps preview setups could be entertained. who knows, it may overtake the paid grid in its compelling wonders.

just what type of ill affects would be generated with their loss; a stampede of closed accounts, a pulling out of an incalculable amount of inworld assets, a spike in hacking retributions, dogs sleeping with cats, who knows what else....

so. please, if you have any thoughts on how impossible or feasable this separation could be i'd love to have you add/subtract from what is but a rudimentary exercise in formulating a better world. i think it's brilliant but i'm open to discussion. what say you?

Jonathan Swift called - he wants his schtick back...

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

Jonathan Swift called - he wants his schtick back...

I forget, did JS say "eat the poor"?

[Rowan Amore]

Surprised the OP hasn't posted a follow-up.   😂

[Sid Nagy]

I said it before in the past: LL should rent out golden name tags for 19.95 USD a month.

And than twice a year a golden fair. Exclusive for golden name tag holders.
Of course the fair would have exclusive rediculous overprized items only.

It would be an instant hit in certain circles.

[Love Zhaoying]

5 minutes ago, Sid Nagy said:

I said it before in the past: LL should rent out golden name tags for 19.95 USD a month.

And than twice a year a golden fair. Exclusive for golden name tag holders.
Of course the fair would have exclusive rediculous overprized items only.

It would be an instant hit in certain circles.

All those users with golden twinkles in their eyes!

 

[Sid Nagy]

Some more ideas:

Big spender awards, The Golden Snowflakes,  for the 10 people that buy the most L$ a year without cashing out a dime.
Awarded during an exclusive Christmas show, with performances of the best SL artists, streamed life in a Golden edition of LabGab.
And in the audience only invited people who are close to winning such an award.

And also: The Golden Dice Awards, for those who played the most in the Social Casino.

/me rolls eyes.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Sid Nagy

[Love Zhaoying]

Just realized - if there are no more Basic users, who will work at our Strip / Slex joints and clean our homes?

 

[Aiyumei]

Just now, Love Zhaoying said:

Just realized - if there are no more Basic users, who will work at our Strip / Slex joints and clean our homes?

 

Then we'd have to hire premium users who will ask for higher pay and social benefits. It's not good for the business.

[Love Zhaoying]

4 minutes ago, Aiyumei said:

Then we'd have to hire premium users who will ask for higher pay and social benefits. It's not good for the business.

Maybe we'll be able to hire AI Bots to fill the gap? Just like RL!

[HeathcliffMontague]

Now, now. Don't be too mean to the OP.

I contribute by going Premium once a year. Yet I buy L$ rarely,, once in a blue moon. I've spent quite a lot of time building a  bike I could sell in good conscience. I somehow don't think that's what LL survives on. 

[pizza7]

20 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Just realized - if there are no more Basic users, who will work at our Strip / Slex joints and clean our homes?

 

havent you seen those robo cleaners ?? hehe they make good rides for catpets

[Krystina Ferraris]

5 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

You're an expert on horse manure, is it a fair comparison?

Hahaha yes very accurate comparison! However horse manure is useful for growing mushrooms, roses and a bunch of other nice things… not sure that stuff in the OP is actually useful for anything 😆

[Krystina Ferraris]

5 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

The mystery for me is, how can something seem almost thoughtfully written but have not capital letters? Maybe translated from a language without capital letters, or Shift Key broken?

I guess it beats "all caps", and at least wasn't against a blinding white background, all in one paragraph as a single run-on sentence with no punctuation and bad spelling. Could be worse. 

Must admit I didn’t think about that, that’s a great observation! 🦁

[EnCore Mayne]

well... i'm overwhelmed with the flurry of responses. some personally critical comments/assessments have been submitted for moderation. you know who you are.

as to the excellent perspectives contributing to the alteration of my nascent proposal , i admit there should be a more refined way of assessing one's status. i do understand, and failed to integrate, that free accounts can indeed be a net plus to the world. i was a free account for many years until just recently. in all that time prior to becoming a paid account i felt my creative and monetary participation warranted inclusion to this most compelling of online worlds.

my ego wasn't inflated enough to think that there were any distinctions between paid and free. as i went about my daily routines i never thought my account status had any relevance to my creative input. inclusivity (is that a word?) was not bearing on how the world was "monetized". i didn't care. what benefits would i acrue should i become a "paid" member? i never gave it a thought. the world would last whether i gave the Lindens the much needed funds to continue their survival, if not thrival! (no that's not a word) or not.

and then it came to darker times when all the features of the real world Lab ran amok. closing their expansive worldwide reach, administrative upheavals, staffing ineptitudes & corporate sale are all classic symptoms for the path to dissolution.

so i tossed them some coin. trouble in the family is trouble for me. what more could i do? i'm certainly not altering my Scotish heritage to unrepentantly buy the outrageously priced garments these days. i guess the bottom line is how could i help more? what makes one a more contributing member of the communities we live amongst? how can one assess a value to an individual?

so it's not free or paid that must be distinguished for an elevation in status it's 1. contributor, and 2. not. one may apply one's own monikers should the need be. you get the drift.

and that being said, i apologize if any moronic trolls have taken any offense to my little thought project. your words count against you. and there's the rub!

how does one distinguish themselves as a more beneficial member to the community?

it's not merely PIOF that factors into the equation. one's forum comments, one's land status, purchases, creative sharing, play, one's rumoured past(?), NDAs, contract status, technical expertise, etc, etc. how does one take all these factors in hand? what measured outcome could be resolved into a singular overall placement in the heirarchy of all of us?

https://9gag.com/gag/aOx9Nwv

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, EnCore Mayne said:

well... i'm overwhelmed with the flurry of responses. some personally critical comments/assessments have been submitted for moderation. you know who you are.

I hope you know, most of our responses are out of "love"!  Great job spurring on some discussion!  Of course, I can only speak for myself.

(I had to check your profile last night to make sure you weren't some new person trolling us, I recognized your profile picture and previous posts.)