Pussycat Catnap wrote
Not to the merchants.
But merchants are -NOT- the life of SL.
Entertainment and social venues are venues are.
If merchants dried up, SL would survive. It'd look like Open Sim but it would survive.
If places to go dried up, SL would be dead.
Merchants are a solid part of a popular places survival. Entertainment venues rely on merchant rentals to pay tier. Without it. They would not be able to afford the cost. . People do not donate and tip enough to cover employee wages (which is a vital part of a thriving economy) and tier at the same time. . Removing the money from circulation only leaves you holding a bag of money and people standing around saying : "thats the trickle up affect"
On average, just in wages, a popular place pays out to their hosts, over 100,000 lindens a month, (not including the tips they make). Those hosts in turn, spend that money in world, either by rent, or clothing. If the company you pay puts up a net to catch all the money, and doesn't put it back into circulation then you will slowly see your economy decline, and in this case, the market place is that net
It is hurting businesses as we speak, and already showing its adverse affects