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Nany Kayo

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Blog Comments posted by Nany Kayo

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    There is potential for abuse of income reporting in SL through the use of alt accounts, collectives and schemes to use inworld payment to escape taxes on real world goods and services.

    This is a new area and it may take the tax man a little while to sort it out.  There aren't very many people in virtual worlds yet so they haven't attracted much attention.  But it is obvious that someone could divide their income among a group of alts and pretend no one alt made a taxable amount.  It's clear consortiums could be set up to launder money for real world services to avoid taxes.  Maybe no one has done that yet, but it is obvious it could be done.

    I have a feeling eventually the feds are going to insist on a reporting system to positively identify Second Life users behind every account.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    Toysoldier, I see what you mean.

    Where I think the distiction starts to blur is where more money becomes involved.  So far most of the money changing hands in virtual worlds is tiny amounts, micro transactions.  But when the income increases to wage level full time jobs, the tax man is going to want to get involved.  Anyone who wants a real job is going to need to produce real identification.  There will be schemes to try to screen that information through third parties and terms of service and so on.  But I think that online privacy will continue to be challenged by legalities.

    Money and contractual agreements is one place online privacy will be increasingly challenged  to accomodate, but other legal conditions will undoubtedly challenge online privacy, too.  Any time there is the potential for breaking the law, the law is going to want to be able to identify you and will put pressure on service providers to tell them who you are.

    ++++

    It occured to me that is what is going on with SL's drive to include Facebook. They may be inching toward making people identify themselves and using Facebook as a way to deflect some of the criticism for the intrusion.  They are beginning to subtly discourage people who do not want to identify themselves from using SL.

    It may be necessary because there are kids in the mix and because there is real money changing hands.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    Sounds like marketing BS to me.  Rod Humble is a public person.  You can easily find his biography and photograph online.  You could probably find his home address and phone number without much effort.   He may have an alt, but he doesn't have any privacy.

     

    The catch with privacy is that you can't make any money anonymously.  You have to show some ID or you will not get paid.  And that is becoming more the case, not less.  Now you have to show proof of citizenship. You have to file tax returns and be present for tax audits when asked.  You want to get paid, you have to take off the mask.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    I'm not the one you would need to convince in this scenario.  It would be a major entertainment company or someone like that considering an interest SL.  That could impact how Linden Lab evaluates its image, what kind of a business it wants to look like, what kind of neighborhood it wants to belong in, and what kind of customers it wants.   If they consistently act like they don't really want someone's business, maybe they don't, is all I am saying.

     

     

    Same thing happened to educators.  LL doubled the cost of land in effect telling educators they didnt really want their business.  They have their own reasons and it's their call.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    You can pretend you don't understand the existence of zoning restrictions if you want to.  That's immaterial.  What matters in this context is how Linden Lab sees it.

    Do they think selling live webcam shows from their platform negatively impacts other potential business or not?  What are their tradeoffs?  We can only guess, and wait and see.

     

     

    And in any case, this is all off the topic of communications.  We should probably drop it.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    Gavin, I know for sure it would make some people very angry if I pointed out that some of what is being created and sold in Second Life probably drives away other types of potential business.  If that is the case, it might make sense to ease out business that has limited or maxed out value to make way for other business that is believed to have greater value.

    I'm willing to wait and see how it goes.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    Cherry, it's great that you are making money in SL, but that isn't part of the service Linden Lab is offering.  It isn't their responsibility to support your business.  They have made no promise to do that and have no obligation to do it no matter how much you have paid them in the past.

    It would be the same as someone selling handmade items at a farmer's market made from materials bought from a particular producer. That producer has no obligation to sell anything to you regardless of how much money you make from it.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    I never said I speak for those who support LL.

    My race has nothing to do with anything being discussed here and you are out of line to introduce it.

    I have no idea who you are or what you do or don't do with regard to the Second Life platform.  I have not made any reference to you personally except to say that you seem to be violating the Community Participation Guidelines.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    In my opinion, the money a person spends on Second Life is an entertainment expense. In a very loose sense, I guess one could say they have "invested" in entertaining themselves.   However there is no contract explicit or implied for any return on the money you spend to participate in Second Life.  You are not an employee or contractor due any payment.  You are a customer.  That's my opinion.

     

    As far as the phrase "just shut up and do it" being an attack of some kind, in my opinion it is no more offensive than the phrase "just shut up and dance."  You may consider that a personal attack on some group too, I have no idea. I already apologized for your appearently very delicate sensibilites and I don't think another apology is in order.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    The precise reasons some people have left may well be known.  A calculation of which customers are expendable may even have been made.  Linden Lab may know they will lose certain customers through certain policy changes.  It's their call. 

    There are choices Linden Lab could make that would cause Second Life to be useless to me.  I won't argue with them about it.  I will move on, find something else to do.  But so far the choices they are making suit me.

    I like Homestead class sims.  I'm happy they sequestered Adult content.  I'm happy they have allowed teens into the Main Grid.  I'm glad they continue to tinker with their various technological improvements.  Even the thing with Facebook is ok with me so far.  I think it may tend to clear out some of the crap hiding behind anonymity.

    I just wish the land didn't cost so much.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted

    The time and money you spend on entertainment is an expense, not an investment.  Linden Lab is not a bank.  You don't earn dividends or interest on the money you pay them for their services.

    I apologize if the wording "just shut up and go do it" is too strong for you or if you take it as some kind of attack directed at you personally.  The statement is not directed against anyone in particular, and it is certainly not directed to you.

    Amanda Linden

    Posted 

    

    Why are there so few posters offering a reasoned defense of LL's policies? 
    


    The reaction in the blogs and forums to any show of support of Linden Lab policy has tended to be extremely negative and abusive.   I support a change in policy to enforce the Community Participation Guidelines so that everyone is free to express their opinion without risk of personal insult and harassment.
    

    On the topic of Linden Lab products and services, my main complaint has always been that the price is too high.  I am delighted with the technology supporting the platform even as it continues to lurch forward unevenly in its development.  I am excited to witness and experience what I believe is the dawning of a tremendously useful and entertaining new medium. 
    

    I'm not going to throw rocks at Linden Lab.  I'm not going to heap scorn on them for their accomplishments, which are clearly beyond anything anyone else has done in this field.  I get tired of listening to other people insult the company and its employees.  I think those who are extremely dissatisfied with the virtual world platform Linden Lab offers should go make their own damned virtual world platform. If you think you can do so much better, just shut up and go do it.
    
						
    
					
    
					
						
    
							

	
    	
		
    
			
				
				
    
					
				
    
			
			
			
		
    
	
    

						
    
					
				
    		
			
    
		
    
	
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