If Linden Labs continues this decline, what will happen to my investments if they shut down?

[Coy Humphreys]

If Linden Labs continues this decline and the lays offs come to a point that they will need to shut down completely and close their doors, what will happen to my investments? What are our options?

 

[Rolig Loon]

Your immediate option is to post this speculation in the General Discussions forum instead of Answers.  We have only answers here.  :smileyhappy:

BTW, if you think SL is a good place to invest, I have a bridge that you might like.

[Deej Kasshiki]

In the TOS it states (I'm paraphrasing here) that the service can be terminated at any time and for any reason and you have no recourse or expectation that you'll be able to get any kind of a refund. (Section 4.2)

My advice if you really feel that SL is circling the drain is: don't invest any (more) RL funds and if you have items you can sell and cash out, do so before it's too late. That's the only strategy that I'm aware of.

[Lixena Lamourfou]

I think the lay-offs you are referring to happened over a year ago.  I believe Linden Labs is surviving.

With any investment there is always risk, and Second Life is not exempted.  If you believe that there maybe some deviations in the future that will run in conflict with your expected return from Second Life then you should act.  But this is a highly personal decision that really can't be answered by anyone but yourself.  There are no guarantees or warranties that are given or implied with any of the monies transacted in Second Life.

[Lyra Blackthorne]

My option is not to invest more than I can afford to lose

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Investments, by their nature, always have some level of risk.  That's for any investment in any venture you might invest in.  You invest in a real life company/business and it goes belly up, you lost your investment.  The trick is to avoid investing in businesses that will loose money for you..........people pay a lot of real money to others in an effort to avoid investments in such ventures (investment counselors/managers). 

 

Then there's Second Life.  What you are calling an investment, Linden Lab would not quite agree.  People who invest in Linden Lab/Research with real capital to further LL's Second Life goal are who LL knows as investors.  What you "invest" in Second Life (as opposed to Linden Lab/Research) would be considered spending money to enjoy whatever it is you enjoy about Second Life............and LL has delivered on their part.  The fact that you can actually get a very small return on the money you spend in SL is nothing more than selling something that you either created (using tools both inside SL and third party tools you purchased or obtained independently) and selling it for some "profit" using tokens (LL does not define the Linden Dollar as having any monetary value and actually claim $L to be tokens).  Just because people will pay real money to buy your tokens does not mean the $L is money (LL does not purchase your tokens back from you.......other residents do through the exchange.  All this makes "investing" (not a real investment with a contract between you and Linden Lab/Research) in SL by "buying" land, renting it out and turning a "profit" a very risky investment..........you should know that if you have any inkling of what an investment is.  Should LL belly up next week and you "own" 100 full sims with all the money you've paid LL for the tier (fees) over 5 years, you are set to loose all that "investment".  And no legal recourse what so ever.

 

If you're nervous, now's the time to bail.  Cut your loses and run with whatever you can get.

[PeterCanessa Oh]

Options:

• Panic
• Relax
• Sue someone pointlessly
• 'Send someone to have a word with their kneecaps' (not recommended)

All-purpose recommendations:

• Hope for the best
• Prepare for the worst
• Remember 'investing' usually means 'gambling'
• Gambling is ok as a paid-for entertainment but not as an reliable income