Blush Bravin

I have been wondering about the offer to pay ahead now as a way of a creating a fast influx of cash. This makes perfect sense if they have to pay up front costs to do the migration. If as many people take advantage of the offer to pay ahead as I suspect, and even possibly go annual as a means of saving even more money, the lab should see a nice boost to profits next month.

Look at your next bill date. Then add a year to that date and that's when you will pay again. The year gets added to what you currently have when you pay.

You know if merchants are going to use groups for advertisement then perhaps creating a new premium account .. a merchant premium account where a maintenance fee for the group is charged on the size of group might be a way to go. That way the merchant is the one paying for the upkeep and residents aren't penalized because they don't have enough group slots.

Am I the only one kinda put out by this line, "as well as the introduction of an all-new membership level for those who want to get the absolute most out of their Second Life."? I'm tired of carrots being dangled with no real meat to grab a hold of... heck it's not even a carrot - it's a vapor of a carrot. I really would like some real information on what this is going to be. We've been hearing this rumor for well over a year now.

If you pay annually you don't have to deal with VAT. If you're up to 50 with VAT added then why not add another 50 and go full annual and skip paying VAT?

I suppose what I'm really addressing is the constant turn over of groups in peoples list. Those who are constantly switching out groups so they can get the latest free gift or join in on a hunt or hit the MM group board but then drop the group slot until they hear that group is having another free item. Those groups are not really active chat groups. Those types of groups need to use a different method for advertising, IMO. I'm not talking the likes of the big time fashion or furniture merchants. Their groups tend to be steady with people not dropping them over and over to rejoin, though it does happen even with them. In those cases the groups really aren't promoting sales as much as putting out gifts hoping to get name recognition. In those cases, having a subo rather than a group actually serves the merchant better because their group isn't constantly part of a never-ending turnover of groups with those who are constantly searching for the next freebie. I do value groups who provide community. Who offer support and help. Those are very valuable. I personally believe they are the best use of a group slot along with having your own personal group where you invite your friends and family to be a part. Those are the groups I will hold forever. I have to tell you though I do frequent the FB page of the big fashion houses and that's my biggest source of news. Group notices tend to get deleted without me even looking at them. By now you might realize that I always have group slots open because well I just don't need that many.

Ah, I see. If I were wanting to do that I would use the calling cards to organize the groups and then open a conference call with each group.

You have to exclude the other roles from receiving notices or chat abilities. You can do that temporarily if you don't want that to be the case at all times.

I actually get more sales from my subo group than my regular VIP group. But I don't have a huge customer base like you do. So perhaps my experience is closer to the majority of merchants in SL. I decided a long time ago that having the VIP group isn't all that beneficial with how often people drop one group for another just so they can get the free gift or a store discount. I've been around SL for a very long time. My main from 2003. I have seen the evolution of groups. They were not originally intended for how they are being used today. Does that mean we just stop using them? No, but to think that they can be fixed by simply adding more groups, as they've done over the years, has only compounded the issue. We need a solution. And thinking we can go on as we've been doing is only putting our heads in the sand. We need a better method.

The problem isn't the number of groups needed. The problem is with the organizers not coming up with a better way to run their events. This should be possible without using groups, IMO.

These are both functions currently available to group owners. You can define them in the roles section.

I didn't say I don't like group chat. I am a moderator for the Maitreya Lara Friends group. I very much see the advantages of help groups and chat. But what does get to be a problem is people thinking they must be a member of a group to get the benefits of a particular merchant. Take your store for instance, yes, group members do get an added store credit, but those who are not members also still receive a store credit, smaller to be sure but they still get a perk for being your customer. We see enormous lag issues in group chats because of the sheer volume of people in those groups. I know people turn off chat because they are tired of the constant pings though. So why not have a subo for advertising that has all the benefits of being part of the chat group? And have another way to reach your customers who would actually prefer to not be bothered with chat and constant notices? Wouldn't that better serve your customers and your business? Right now we all turn to groups to be this all encompassing answer to advertising. I think it's time that merchants and customers realize that groups were not meant for this purpose and were not designed for this purpose and that's why there are such big problems with groups.

I'm probably going to be boo'd out of this thread with my comments, but here goes anyway. Groups have been a problem for a long time. Using them for advertising has become the norm but should they be? I don't think so. It would be better to use a subo system, as has been suggested in this thread. I personally think that not only the basic accounts but premium accounts as well should have a lower limit placed on groups. I also think that we need different types of groups where some features, like group chat, are not permitted. I am a very small time merchant. Will the additional fee hurt? Yes, but does that mean I don't agree with the need for Linden Lab to impose these additional fees? No, I do. We need a healthy Linden Lab or Second Life goes away and with it the very income I make from this platform. So it's time for me to tighten my belt and deal with it! I'm a retired person and have an extremely small pension. So small it barely pays my RL rent. So, believe me I understand the stress this brings, but it's life and you learn to deal with it. Complaining or stomping your feet about it won't change anything.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO noooooooooooooooooooooot the RUUUUUUUUUUUUth!!!

Debi lets me keep my stipend and she spends hers .. but we have a third premium alt who never sees the light of day or even the dark of night and that money just sets in the account waiting to be cashed out to pay the annual premium when it comes due. I'm probably going to opt in for renewing before the grace period runs out so I can get all three annuals at the current rate. I'm glad they are offering us that discount.

This makes no sense. You don't charge money to give it back. To increase stipend would mean they'd have to increase premium even further.

Honestly, the only reason I still own any mainland at all is because I can't have a store in Bellisseria. I have no desire to return to living on mainland EVER. If the lab offers a commercial version of Bellisseria I will be moving my shop.

Or they might just get more than one premium and own more than one parcel like I have, which also helps the economy. Considering that the lab is trying to move away from a land based economy and into more of a sales tax economy I think that staying put in these so-called starter homes and buying furnishing and gardening deco will benefit the economy as much as someone moving from Linden homes and into another form of land ownership.

The generally accepted definition of starter home = a relatively small, economical house or condominium that meets the requirements of young people buying their first home. It's that idea that the Linden Homes are somehow inferior to other land/homes in SL. In many cases, the Linden homes are much better than what we can get both in mainland and private estates. So, that's why I buckle at labeling these beautiful homes surrounded by wonderful neighborhoods as starter homes.

I did not read that into his words at all. He said they are limited in what they offer and that for some they may want more options, he specifically addressed color choices in the article. For many, including myself, who have lived in mainland for years and years, these homes aren't starter homes, for me in fact, they are ender homes. I don't plan on moving away from Bellisseria. I've had more than enough of mainland and I NEVER enjoyed estate living. I really do not believe that Patch was suggesting that the new Linden homes are only meant to be starter homes.

@Beth Macbain Is the add-on mod? If so, and I hope it is, you can resize it enough that it won't keep happening.

I rezzed that houseboat to check. There's nothing inside that wall, so apparently you've rezzed a box inside the wall. Cam in and delete it.

You hope in vain! Premium accounts are up and with benefits like this they will continue to go up. You can moan and groan that you're not having luck but it's not going to stop the rest of us from enjoying the benefits of our premium accounts .. yes, accounts as plural. Not only do a great many of us have one premium, we have multiple premiums and will continue to do so. You are only hurting yourself with this poor attitude.

I just figure it adds to the realism. Nothing is really square in RL unless it's brand new and hasn't gone through any settling yet.

I decided to add a chimney since I've got a fireplace in the lounge area. It's such a nice architectural detail and for only .5 LI it is well worth it. I'm thinking I may keep this build all summer. I'm loving the feel of summer in my screened porch. I've thought about trying for a different parcel that included a fence as well as facing east rather than south, but with views like this to the lighthouse I think I better stay put. I love my neighborhood. I love living in Bellisseria. I can't see my ever wanting to have my home elsewhere. Living on mainland is becoming a distant memory already. For me, Bellisseria is all that I had ever hoped mainland would be. This is like a dream come true.