So... I'm not going to pretend to understand the entirety of the technical aspects of this decision. There are so many Basic accounts, the loss of group slots for Basic accounts far outweighs the amount that is being added to Premium accounts because there are so many more Basic subscribers than Premium. It makes sense if groups is such a heavy load to cut groups on Basic. However, it seems like a patch to fix what's really wrong - and that is that Linden coding, servers, and networking are outdated and need updating. They understand this is a problem - how do they fix it? With lots of money - and we're the ones who put the food on their tables at night with their families and fund Second Life's running.
A lot of people who are angry about these increases also need to remember that LL is a business. The Lindens have families they need to feed. They need to upgrade their equipment to provide a better experience for residents. They need to give back something for the price increases, but it can't cut into the profits in the long run because that defeats the purpose of what they're trying to accomplish. Vitriol helps no one in the situation... LL knew that the community would blow up from this - and they were prepared for the backlash, which makes me sad because LL has taken care of us for a very long time. They do LOVE their SL community. We should love them in return for all they've accomplished and graciously allowed us to be a part of - free of charge.
As a creator, I will keep creating. I will adjust my prices accordingly with the percentage increase as any RL business does in the cases of inflation and natural progression of supply and demand. For a while, it will hurt, but like LL, I'm looking at the long term. People will get used to this, and they will come back. While it might be an unpopular opinion, I staunchly support Linden Labs in their endeavors to make Second Life a better experience for everyone and to stabilize our stagnant economy. Linden Labs has been impressive over my last 11 years with Second Life, and I'm looking forward to many more years. This move, on their part, assures they will continue to be here.
TLDR; Be kind, and don't be afraid to support the Lindens even if it's a little painful. In the end, it's all worth it.