PostHeaderIcon Linden Lab's Memorial Park: Visually

Hades' Strumpet, Captain's Log: November the 26th, Anno Domini Nostri Iesu 1709 2009 - Ari Blackthorne, Master and commanding.



Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


It is early morn in a small port at the northern coast in the vicinity of Hyralios. The Strumpet carries no Supercargo this day, but ballast being the usual textiles of silk, wool, together linens, tobacco, sugars and coffee and precious fruits - the cause of our haste in transport.

Mainland Sail


The morning sun barely rises as we make ready for sail, morning mists and fog begin to lift in the newfound warmth as we weigh anchor to get under-way. The cities and townships along the coast make for a rather bizarre presentation; a mishmash of loud colors and architectural styles, some seemingly hovering in mid-air.

Mainland Sail


The edge of the world is near and thus we must hug the coastline, wary of shallow shoals and other underwater hazards, it is greatly hoped the wind of the day will be most cooperative as has been the case thus far.

Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Out fair sun reveals clear skies as we make way through the mouth of the harbor, turning West by Northwest, the warm rays to our backs as we leave the safety of the well-established cove.

Mainland Sail


The water is cold and calm, providing for soft and smooth travel over glassy waters, Poseidon slumbers still in this lazy morning as we move slowly toward our destination. The wind being shallow as it is we barely make headway at all.

Mainland Sail


Though the shores of this part of the world are riddled with population and strange architecture, it is a refreshing reprieve when the uninhabited natural states on the land reveals itself in such peaceful ways.

Mainland Sail


We round the horn at the northern-most point of the great island and the wind begins to pick-up, giving us greater speed, yet not to the advantage we had hoped for thus-far. At such a rate will may not reach port until mid'day to-morrow, and suffer spoilt fruit in the delay.

Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


We have reach'd craggy, rocky portion of the coast, I send crew to the bow to watch for under-water dangers. This delays us further as we must slow our progress in addition to having man's eyes at work rather than his braun in other required rigging duties.

Mainland Sail


Finally the shore dips deeply to the south and we make way through more open seas, with a bit more maneuvering room between the shallows and edge of the world, we try hard to make-up lost time.

Mainland Sail


The southern dip in the shoreline comes quickly to an end and more population is spotted in the distance, though the seas are calm and smooth, we have yet to capture the strength of wind we'd hoped-for.

Mainland Sail


A mountainous region, the morning shape hiding the sun from warming the area, the morning breeze is chilling, but the thickened wind finally pushes hard and our sails bite with strength.

Mainland Sail


We are forced to halt all progress as Poseidon has apparently awakened and provided an unusual set-back to our journey. Perhaps it is in his humor that he make invisible a complete block of the very world in which we exist!

Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Alas we are quickly underway again as the vanished reality returns to us after only moments. The sails are full and we make great stride in the speed of a strong wind.

Mainland Sail


As we come to pas the cove near Clockwork we take notice at another great island to our north and I quickly check my charts to find a shoreline known as Derran Moor, Pinechapel and Canongate. I decide to turn North by Northwest to bring us along side the foreign beach for a closer look.

Mainland Sail


The country-side appears natural and barren at first. However as we move Westward, a thin forest appears to us. Also is a great fog or mist in the far inland distance.

Mainland Sail


It seems a rather peaceable and quiet place without all the strange buildings and wild color and the sky is clear through the clouds with-out man made structures.

Mainland Sail


There is a simple knoll at the beach called Pinechapel, a single obelisk stands upon it. Through telescoping glass I am able to see it is a rather solemn-looking item. We decide to drop anchor and disembark for closer inspection.

Mainland Sail


The small pillar is engraved with tributary flora thoughtfully placed. It is then it becomes clear what this place is, and why it is so clean and devoid of the brash, loud sights as found to the south.

Mainland Sail


A strange calming feeling washes over us in the morning light. Upon only a glance it is clear to see this place carries far more meaning than what is discerned at first site. And begin a walk-about.

Mainland Sail


Here the architectural efforts are taken with creative care and it almost seems a shame that such thoughtfulness goes wasted in the absence of population to enjoy it.

Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Yet also, the very absence of population perhaps is what makes this area all the more pleasant to the eye and heart-strings. Allowing the solemn nature to permeate through one's self efficiently.

Mainland Sail


An entire complex, owned by none, yet owned by all, thoughtfully presented and maintained it would seem the quiet natural beauty mixed with careful architecture as presented in the morning sun-rise generates profound consideration and feeling.

We decide to peruse the vicinity with attention and awe...

Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Alas, we delay for too long, but the majesty of this great place has made the loss in time and space well worth the excursion. We weigh anchor and reluctantly continue upon our way to original destination...

Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Mainland Sail


Though we have strong wind and warm sun at our backs, we cannot help but to sheet or sail angle to cause a slow, steady, yet reluctant departure as we watch the great, peaceful memorial fade into the sun-rise.

Mainland Sail


Perhaps one thing to be thankful for might be all those friends and acquaintances whom have give us the profound gift of fond memories.

SLURL

Mainland Sail

PostHeaderIcon Second Life Selling Tip 08 of 15: Reverse Panhandling

Remember when you first came into SL what Gods and Goddess celebrities creators were to you? "ZOMG That creator spoke to me!!11ONE!" Remember how special that was? Believe it or not, if you create quality stuff, you are that celebrity to others. Use this to your advantage.

Among the huge mistakes many creators make is to set out boxes of freebies and giving away t-shirts with your company name on it or other junk. It's condescending and serves no purpose, not to mention, it gives a bad impression. This is not referencing "lucky chairs" and the like where you give away "real" creations you otherwise sell (and if you retire a product: retire it. Don;t give it away as a freebie. Reintroduce it in six-months or something.)

If you believe that giving away freebies actually helps business, it doesn't unless you go about it the right way: how about "reverse pan-handling"?

Rather than dolling-out worthless trinkets in a freebie box, do this: talk to people, strangers - not friends. And, as you do, give them one of your real, for sale products. Not a demo, not a certificate - the real thing. Don't tell them how much you sell it for. Don't say where your shop is and don't advertise what you do. Don't turn it into a sales-pitch. Make it not about you, but about them - more specifically: their opinion. Ensure a current landmark is in the box.

If you are in a place that allows rezzing, explain that it's a gift and you'd like their honest opinion of it. It's a reason to have them open it now! If not, it might sit in inventory, out of sight, out of mind, forgotten. Get them to open it now so they will see it, feel it, experience it now.

First and foremost you'll get valuable feedback. Also, you are face-to-face (virtually) with the receiving person, which does wonders subliminally. You'll get word-of-mouth started and get your product "out there" into the wild, where others will see it, hear of it and so on. Because of the face-to-face aspect, if others ask about that product, the new owner will talk about you, how you gifted it to them and wanted their opinion - they feel important and empowered now. They will exclaim how wonderfully angelic you are. You have provided human interaction with your customer and given personal service. This, dear merchant, is golden!

Now take it a step further: create a transferrable, no-modify prim with a design on it. Tell the person you have just gifted to take that "certificate" and give it to a friend or even use it themselves.

Explain that as a thank you for their valuable and important feedback, you will give a discount by way of a refund percentage of the purchase price of anything you sell to the one who buys something and then presents it back to you.

Don't bother with verifying anything. It doesn't matter - the certificate can be used only once anyway (it is transferred back to you). Simply ask which item was purchased and when. Verify that item was sold - doesn't matter to whom. Give that 25% refund without question or hesitation and you will make tidal waves in the customer-service realm. It costs you nothing to do this, but could gain you a huge boost in new business!

Now you have a little grass-root marketing going on.

**********

Want the whole kaboodle? There is far more detail in the 'how' and 'why' in my book: Successful Business in Second Life (SBSL - Second Edition for 2009/10; 270-pages) is available at XStreet SL. The book includes both, an in-world and eReader version. There also is an  Amazon Kindle version, (you receive both: ereader and in-world versions no matter where you purchase it.)

Person-to-person "reverse panhandling" is one way to network. Another way is to take advantage of 'network vending' - getting others to sell your products for you.

art: Teddy Madison

PostHeaderIcon Be Thankful? Don't Laugh, I'm Serious.

Tomorrow is the traditional day of "thanks" in the United States, and possibly other countries. Per the "wikipedia": Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

Supposedly the first "thanks giving" celebration occurred in 1621 at the site of Plymouth Plantation - in the United States before it was was such. Nowadays most people simply look at it as an excuse to take a day-off from first life work and get fat on a "Thanksgiving Feast."

Additionally, the original giving of thanks for a bountiful harvest has become somewhat lost on the holiday as we are reminded to "give thanks" for whatever it is we might be thankful for.

Because the Thanksgiving holiday occurs tomorrow, and thus today is Thanksgiving's eve, I am going to cheat a bit: I want to give thanks to the people of Linden Research. (Okay, you readers may slap me now, but I assure you I still am in-charge of my faculties.)

No, not thanks to "Linden Research" or "Linden Lab"... thanks to the people who work there. All of them.

Why?

Because I am thankful for the enjoyment I get goofing around in Second Life. Seriously. I get to do it for free and yet, all those people work hard, for them the primary focus is to make a living, putting the food on the table, paying the mortgage and all that.

And I know for a fact a lot of them work hard. Especially when we, their customers and visitors (I am of the opinion you actually must have payment info on-file and owe Linden Lab legal tender in tier fees to be called a "customer") - get really stupid and shrill and vicious and slam-down on them verbally for trying to make the virtual world they have created and maintain a better place in the long-run for the most people.

I always have believed this, but it really hit "home" for me the last few days as I was sailing around in my Tall Ship (the Hades' Strumpet, woo-hoo!) through mainland areas on Linden-owned water sims. I find it a great way to go 'sight-seeing' through SL where "walking" all over the place is too slow and cumbersome and 'flying' just doesn't do it. Sailing along the coasts and inlet waterways through SL mainland is actually a fascinating experience.

And I came to realize something: as complicated as the grid is technologically, the high-cost of running and maintaining all these sims (simulators) - and Linden Lab actually provides a countless number of them at no charge to anyone, for everyone's free use. There is the complete Blake Sea - a massive "water continent" easily consisting of two-dozen or more (I haven't counted them) sims - all for public use. And the many other "destination" locations through-out the grid that practically no one even knows about.

I read a few months ago about the Linden Memorial Park, an area that Linden Lab has created from scratch for the sole purpose of SL users to place little memorials to people they miss. I have no reason to go there other than for sight-seeing purposes, so I never bothered going, but thought it a nice gesture on LL's part anyway.

So I plopped the "Stumpet" down on some rezzable area on the north coast of some mainland continent I didn't bother looking-up and started sailing away doing my sight-seeing, admiring (and frowning at) the many resident-built creations along the virtual coast. Peeking at the map every once in a while to be sure I don't get too close to the world's edge (in SL, everyone else besides Columbus was right.)

I can see a very large island, too small to be a sub-continent but too large to really be called an 'island' as geographic islands usually go, but by definition definitely an island just the same. A very large (full sim) expanse of water between the mainland proper and the southern shores of this large land-mass.

As first all I saw was flat land with nothing on it, not even a tree or two. My first thought that it is something new Linden Lab is building. As I got closer, some of the detail further-in started to appear. On the southern shore there was a tiny 'hump' in the terrain with a simple post on it so I furled sail and came to a halt just near it and cammed-in.

I found some kind of memorial pillar that had some virtual flowers and names posted upon it and I realized what I had found.

I have never done a "photo essay" on this blog, not because I don't want to, but rather because I am always forgetting to take snapshots in-world. However, in all the blog entries I have read about the Linden Memorial Park and all the snapshots I have seen of it simply do not do it an ounce of justice.

I was and am still stunned at the size (several sims) and scope and care and quality of build that is the Memorial Park 'complex'. It has to be among the more beautiful "Linden" builds I have seen in all my three years on the grid.

And so, as the SLogosphere will be plastered with "thanksgiving" posts all over the place tomorrow, a practice I try not to participate in (that being the 'follow the herd" in blog-post subjects) - I will be posting (along with the SL Selling Tip) my own "Thanksgiving" blog post.

But it won't be the usual "first life comes first so be thankful for the food on your RL table and all your RL things to be thankful for" and yadda-yadda-yadda.

But rather to accomplish two goals: "Thank you Lindens (the people) for what you do and give" and also " be thoughtful of those lost friends and be thankful for the joy (or not) thay had given" ... I guess.

Yeah, I apologize if you've made it this far as I guess this one was a wasted read, wasn't it?

art: Vidar Andersen; Crap Mariner

PostHeaderIcon It's Official: Rezzable Is A *Bottom-feeder*

Sure, big to-do when Rezzable announced they were leaving the Second Life grid for their own private corner of paradise. Hip-hoorah and big whoop. I posted my thoughts on the subject and also posted to the Rezzable blog about it my thought's on the subject.

In those comments are wondered if it were a good "riddance" or not. Certainly the loss of such art is not a good riddance (and Bryn Oh is headed over there as well - I don't know if she plans to keep one foot in Agni or not - but if not - well, good luck with that, sweetheart.)

So one comment on the rezzable blog.

That's it. My only contact whatsoever with rezzable.

At.

All.

And now, those bastards are spamming me out of nowhere. At least with Linden Lab I actively turned-on the spamming button in my account settings page. But with Rezzable all I have done was to make a comment on one single post at their blog.

So who are they to think they have any right to sign me up to email spam simply because I made a comment on his blog? (all blogs of note do require an email address for verification purposes to help fight spam.)

Yo: Rezzable and whom-ever the hell is in charge over there: In Washington State, where I live, it is illegal to send me marketing email without my explicit consent and on a Federal Offense on the national level, I happen to be in a mood for litigation. (I learned that from bone-head Stroker Serpentine, "Queen Dramatic" of Second Life.) So, Mr. RightAsRain Rimrod or whatever, remove me from your stupid marketing list because not only have you not and neither will you ever make any money from me, but quite the opposite. Rather than supporting you, I shall now proclaim from the mountain tops to throngs at-large who will listen to stay away from any and all things "Rezzable" - because Rezzable will stoop to such low form as you hijack email addresses for spamming purposes.

Now remove me from all your spam garbage machines now! Do not force me to go in and change "preferences" - you "auto-subscribed" me so now "auto-unsubscribe" me. Else you'll be receiving a legal cease and desist letter along with a bill for surcharges of $150.00 U.S. legal tender per email for "management and maintenance effort along with handling fees." (The cost to you for me to hit the delete button.)

The Rezzable juggernaut that-was-but-isn't-now is resorting to spam email because they are getting ten-times less traffic now than they ever did when on the SL Agni grid. And on top of it, they are using another name in all; either a subsidiary or parent company - it doesn't matter. I am receiving garbage because of a one-time post to Rezzable's blog. The first time I figured "meh". But the second time within 10-days? Uh-uh.

There is a definite reason why I only use "plain text" email:

**********
HERITAGE KEY NEWS - NOVEMBER 2009

If you can't read this email, please go to
http://heritage-key.com/news/2009/heritage-key-is-full-of-bullshit.screw-u

{Yeah, I changed the URL - why should they be rewarded if you choose to go look?}

Visit Heritage Key to unlock the marvels of the ancient world, as your
next great adventure starts online. Join the action and try-out our
incredible 3D-online virtual experience. Your journey discovering
[http://heritage-key.com/you-are-a-sucker/] the treasures of King Tut
Virtual is just a few clicks away.

{Yeah, ummm, well I can actually do that *now*. it's called Second Life and believe it or not, rezzable was not and is not the end-all, beat-all of virtual art. And on the SL Grid: it was only *one* click away.}

JOIN THE DISCUSSION: REPATRIATION

{So we can add you to our spam-machine and hijack your email address also, wait until you see all the people we sold it to because it's the only way we apparently can make any money!}

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/jon-himoff/unesco-heritage-sites-every-reasonable-person-who-are-all-suckers]
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/jon-himoff/unesco-heritage-sites-versus-museums-survey-results-it-is-worht-any-backlash]
'Artefacts Abroad' - The Survey Results

Heritage Key users responded to our online survey seeking opinions on the difficult topic of artefacts repatriation from museums back to their home countries. Are Museum's losses humanity's gain?

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/jon-himoff/unesco-heritage-sites-versus-museums-we-only-had-ten-participants]
GET THE RESULTS

- [http://heritage-key.com/bitch-at-us] The 'Discuss' page on heritage-key.com
-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/brian-dolan/controversy-present-and-absent-let-us-rape-your-email-address-for-spamming]
Controversy Present and Absent: Dimitrios Pandermalis, Director of the New Acropolis Museum
-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/ann/egyptian-nonsense-that-sounds-important]
The Egyptian People have the Right to See the Real Rosetta Stone

[http://heritage-key.com/virtual-penage-please-bend-over]
[http://heritage-key.com/virtual-dong-in-ur-caboose] King Tut Virtual - Astonishing Artefacts

King Tut Virtual is the greatest discovery you can make online. Zoom-in
and get up-close -and-personal to some of the most amazing artefacts ever found. Wander the banks of Nile and enjoy a feeling of life in ancient times. The details and realism of King Tut's treasures will astound you.

{Huh. I always thought Discovery Channel web site had the "greatest discoveries" I can make online. I wonder how they feel about your claim?}
-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/owenjarus/where-can-you-get-duped-by-rezzable-blogs]
Where can you find King Tut objects that are not on display in Toronto?

- [http://heritage-key.com/king-tut-3d-is-better-than-real-life-because-we-badly-need-traffic] Why go Virtual? It's fun, high-quality, educational, innovative and free!
-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/pavig-lok/reason-why-we-spam-you-so -we-can-claim-real-interest-even-though-we-screwed-up-leaving-SL]
A Reason for Rezzing: How and Why We Build King Tut Virtual

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/ann/secret-voyage-into-loathsome-activity]

Upcoming lecture:

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/ann/secret-voyage-not-only-do-we-spamyou-in-email-we-spam-the-email-withlinks]
Dr. Zahi Hawass in London

Have you always wanted to meet Dr. Hawass in person? Now is your chance!
The famous Egyptologist visits London in December and Heritage World Press invites you to a special lecture - and maybe dinner. Dr. Hawass will also introduce his two new books: 'Inside the Egyptian Museum' and 'A Secret Voyage.'

{ZOMG!!!!11ONE1 Why yes! I *have* always wanted to meet... meet... wait, who is that again?}

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/malcolmj/preserving-king-tuts-guts-make-spam]

Video:

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/malcolmj/preserving-king-tuts-guts-so-we-can-spam-the-hell-out-of-you.]
Preserving King Tut's Guts {to make SPAM!}

The Canopic Shrine was the ornate container in which Tutankhamun's viscera - his internal organs - were sealed during mummification. Egyptologist Dr Janice Kamrin tells us all about it in the first part of Heritage Key's new video series, 'Tut's Treasures'.

{Wait a minute... Yo, Rezzable, Dudes... are you actually tying to proclaim you have any shine whatsoever in comparison to National Geographic, Nova, Dicsovery Channel and the likes of those? Buahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!}

{Oh, I am *so* sorry! I meant ....buahahahahahahahahahah!!!!}

DISCOVER FABULOUS IMAGES

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/images/sandro-vanninis-photography-thatlooks-like-nationalgeographic]
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/images/sandro-vanninis-photography-photography-thatlooks-like-nationalgeographic]
Sandro Vannini's Photos: The Tomb of Montuemhat (TT34) at Thebes

The excavations at TT34 were photographed by Sandro as the archaeological team set about documenting finds and detailing the tomb walls. The search for the sarcophagus of Montuemhat continues, as Dr Gomaa's team progress deeper into the tomb. Watch the Slideshow of Sandro documenting the search!
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/images/sandro-vanninis-photography-this-isjust-,ore-BS]
Watch the slideshow.

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/images/satellite-image-holyshit-weput-alotof-bullshit-inour-spam]
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/images/satellite-image-holyshit-weput-alotof-bullshit-inour-spam]
Satellite Image: The Roman Ruins of Leptis Magna

Leptis Magna is a hidden treasure that has
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/bija-knowles/north-africa-will-heritage-sites-benefit-tourist-ripoffs] only just opened up to the world, having recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Several new discoveries have been made here in the past decade, and it's one of the most [http://heritage-key.com/publication/north-africa-roman-coast] important Roman sites in the [http://heritage-key.com/blogs/lyn/top-10-roman-spamsubjects] North African region. A personal favourite of the
[http://heritage-key.com/let-us-spam-u] writer Ethel Davies, it boasts
several key structures that were crucial to Roman society.
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/images/satellite-dildos]
Have a look from above.

[http://heritage-key.com/fakeurls] Looking for a good Christmas gift?
Our latest reviews of Books & DVDs:

{Wait - you mean that my "looking for Christmas gifts" means I have to BUY them? What kind of a gift is that?}

[http://heritage-key.com/review/usborne-official-roman-warriorfood-called-spam]

[http://heritage-key.com/review/usborne-official-roman-soldierfullof-spam]
The Usborne Official Roman Soldier's Handbook

[http://heritage-key.com/review/penguin-willnot-eat-spam]
[http://heritage-key.com/review/penguin-book-classical-spam-recipes] The Penguin
Book of Classical Myths

[http://heritage-key.com/review/incas-history-and-treasures-of-emailspam]

[http://heritage-key.com/review/incas-history-and-treasures-ancient-smam]
The Incas: History and Treasures of an Ancient Civilization

[http://heritage-key.com/review/warrior-rome-king-of-spam]
[http://heritage-key.com/review/warrior-rome-king-of-spam] Warrior of
Rome II: King of Kings {who loved email spam}

THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

{okay... hell, even I'm getting tired of reading all this crap, much less intentionally breaking the links. Rezzable: you fail.}

{Boneheads}

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/graecyn/LetUsSpamU]
PHOTO PREVIEW:
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
Terra Cotta Warriors at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC

'Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor', opened to the
public on 19th November, 2009, at the National Geographic Museum in
Washington, DC. The museum is the final venue for the exhibition's
four-city U.S. tour. Graecyn visited the preview event and returned with a
ton of amazing images.

Discuss:

- [http://heritage-key.com/LetUsSpamU] The latest news and
in-depth articles on the Terracotta Army on our dedicated overview

-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
Top Sites at the First Qin Emperor's Tomb Complex

-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
Hidden Xi'am: Must-see Sites off the Tourist Trail

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
PHOTO
CONTEST

We want to see your best high resolution photos taken in King Tut Virtual,
and will reward the most sublime shots with non-virtual cash. We are
offering 100$ for the most fabulous high resolution shots taken in King Tut
Virtual.
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
Participate.

Is Venice turning into a Museum City?
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
Lord Norwich: "Tourism in Venice is reaching Meltdown"

Spotting Synagogues amongst the Minarets:
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
A Grand Tour of Jewish Heritage in Istanbul.

[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/LetUsSpamU]
Virtual Roman Leicester: A Digital Recreation of 'Ratae Corieltauvorum' at
210 AD

GO VISIT

ON HERITAGE KEY:

Share your opinion...

{Oh hell, you idiots better be careful what you wish for, 'cause here I come!}

[http://heritage-key.com/GetSpammed] http://heritage-key.com/GetSpammed

[http://heritage-key.com/GetSpammed]

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS

-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/We-know-you-dont-care]
Hidden Treasures from Afghanistan in Ottawa

-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/We-know-you-dont-care]Iraq's Ancient Past at the Penn

-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/We-know-you-dont-care]
King Tut in Toronto
-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/We-know-you-dont-care]
Framing the Archaeologist: Portraits and Excavation at the Petrie Museum
-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/We-know-you-dont-care]
'World of the Pharaohs' in Arkansas
-
[http://heritage-key.com/blogs/We-know-you-dont-care]
Terra Cotta Warriors, Washington DCYour event listed? Let us know what,
how, who and where via email (info@heritage-key.com) or on Twitter
(@heritagekey).

{Okay - all of you reading this: SPAM this email address!}

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- The latest news? [http://heritage-key.com/rss-feeds] Free email
subscriptions to make sure you don't miss out!
([http://heritage-key.com/blogs/We-know-you-dont-care] We do RSS too.)
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PostHeaderIcon Second Life Selling Tip 07 of 15: Vendor Paradigms

Second Life markets are riddled with scripted vendor machines. A scripted vendor's purpose is to present many products in as few prims as possible. However they can be painfully slow to rez the product art - especially if product art is not optimized. By this I mean each time a shopper presses the "next" or "previous" button, they must wait for the new texture to rez.

It is better to use one-prim sales boxes than to use a scripted display vendor if you can. Not to mention, you'll be saving money by making the best use of your rental or tier fees.

When you shop for a market booth, look for a place with the least traffic possible. This allows faster rezzing of the market and you will likely get a better deal in price-per-prim anyway. Many markets offer between 25 and 50 prims for your use in the booth. Unless you have more products to sell than prims allowed, there really is no reason to use a scripted display vendor.

Rather it is better to set-out one-prim sales boxes, even if they are "single-item' versions of a scripted network vendor machine (such as Apez or Hippo). Even though the initial rezzing time might take a little longer, once rezzed all your products will be visible at once, making it easier to find what I am looking for and also browse the rest - which could turn into an impulse-buy or two. If you use a display vendor, I'll get what I want and then I'm outa-there. I won;t bother flipping through your vendor to see what else you sell.

Remember: I am a hunter. I am impatient. I want it now.

Make it easy as possible for me to give you my money.

With 'system' sales boxes, there are no failures to speak-of. These are simply prims that are set to "sell" either a copy of itself or the contents. It is not scripted at all. And there are never "undeliveries" you must deal with - ever, except in a single case: when the Second Life Transactions system is on the blink. Not to mention that on purchase, the item is delivered instantaneously (and did I mention without fail...ever?)

I don't really intend to endorse any particular product or creator in this series, so I won't provide a link in this instance. However, if you want to offer gift purchases through a one-prim "system' sales box, the "Simple Box Vendor" from Sarah Showboat is probably the best script I have purchased in all my time in SL. (You can find it on XSL or at her point of sale in-world.)

As for "sytem" sales boxes: simply name your sales box with Company-Product-Location. This makes it easy to find it in inventory (and if it's sold as a copy - it's already highlighted in the Objects folder of my inventory after I purchase it) - and will appear in your transactions history clearly labeled.

I sell furniture. So my box might be named: "Blackthorne-Sofa White-Croix".
  • Instant delivery.
  • Never a failure.
  • Easy for the buyer to locate in inventory.
  • Clear transaction reports.
And the side benefit is when a shopper enters my POS location - all boxes are rezzed for easy perusal - rather than with a vendor where it's 'click-wait, click-wait, click-wait." and so on. This, along with using permissions to control sales can help you increase sales and help allow your business to grow.

What more could you ask for?


**********

Want the whole kaboodle? There is far more detail in the 'how' and 'why' in my book: Successful Business in Second Life (SBSL - Second Edition for 2009/10; 270-pages) is available at XStreet SL. The book includes both, an in-world and eReader version. There also is an  Amazon Kindle version, (you receive both: ereader and in-world versions no matter where you purchase it.)


art: Paul Graham Raven

PostHeaderIcon Second Life Selling Tip - BONUS: XSL Multiple Items In One Listing

Linden Lab have released a roadmap for changes to the way XStreet SL (XSL) will work and these include things such as: minimum L$3 commission per sale and L$10 per listing per month. But do not fret! These are good things because they will benefit you, the XSL merchant in the long run by helping to increase your visibility.

This is a bit of an unusual tip because I am endorsing a specific product by a specific creator. There may be similar products with similar functions and certainly other scripters will create likewise systems. But the system I will speak on is the system I use and have used for the last year and it works flawlessly.

So, consider this a bonus sales tip in the XStreet SL category:
  • Problem: You make a very nice pair of shoes, available in 15 different colors and sell each separately. How do you sell them on XSL without paying L$150 each month (L$10 per listing)?
  1. Solution: Create a "fat-pack" and in that listing state something like "individually available in-world" or something. And be sure to include a SLURL like you should be doing anyway.
  2. Solution: Open a WordPress.com account and create your entire catalog there (you can create multiple pages) - then make one XSL litsing with all the information that is common across your entire line (such as: "All items are copy/modify unless specified otherwise; here is my customer support policy; here is my SLURL; see differences between product version at my web-site; purchase here on XSL for L$1 to receive a free gift to thank you for reading about my stuff here, and a landmark is included; blah, blah") - provide links to appropriate pages at that blog for each line of product.
  3. Solution: Don't list on XSL at all.
Of course these solutions are what you already are thinking of and none are really optimal for making sales and making it easy as possible for anyone to give you their money! So I present the following:
  1. Best Solution: Create one listing; give full details, include images of ALL versions and variations with SLURL to your shop and use a special product server (mentioned specifically below) that allows the purchaser to choose the color they want after the purchase!
As for the last solution above, one of the major complaints of shoppers about shopping on XSL is the sifting through of 25 listings of the same product in different variations such as our 'shoes' example above. This also can be a nightmare for shoppers if you are using a vendor system in-world that only show a few products at a time as each 'flip' of the vendor must rez the new images (please, Please, PLEASE optimize your in-world product art!)

The answer is very simple: The product I shall speak of is marketed as a "gift certificate" system, but in reality it is a far more powerful and flexible tool. It is called "Giftex" by Keelia DeCuir and is available at XSL for L$550.

The premise: Put all the products you want into a one-prim server - give a one-prims "redemption" box. The buyer rezzes the "redemption" box and they choose which product to have delivered to them. Now I'll elaborate...

Here is how it works: we take all variations of this same shoe and put it into the "giftex" server (a one-prim box) - include a highly-detailed notecard with product information and in that same notecard, include all images of each variation of the shoe (or everything else we throw into that server.)

Name each box by it's variation (Red, Blue, Pink, Orange, etc.) - a short name so those names appear clearly on "blue menu" buttons.

Create a simple texture for the "certificate" prim. This is the prim we actually sell or give away, what O calle the "redemption" prim or certificate - and be sure the texture is very low-resolution for super-fast rezzing (like 128x128) and clearly says something like "Do not open - click me!" Make that certificate box giant - like 3 or 4 meters tall and wide (maybe 1 meter thick).

Sell the "certificate" on XSL (even in-world vendors) - in one XSL listing, give all the details of the shoe, include images of each variation (all in this one listing) and make it clear that the buyer will choose their variation after "delivery of the product".

How it works for the customer: I buy this "shoe" and receive the "certificate" box. I rez the box and the box contacts your server to see what's inside and presents me with a menu. Among the choices is "Notecard" - which gives me the notecard you placed into the server - I read it, I look at all the pictures of different variations (which in the notecard will tell me which menu button to click) - I click the menu button of the variation I want.

The box containing the variation I chose is delivered to me and the certificate immediately deletes itself so it cannot be reused. Also - the certificate is transferable (even if the final product is not) so it makes a great gift certificate too. And there are security checks to ensure you are the creator of the certificate prim - so it's locked-down tight.

I simply set-up a different one-prim server for each product line (or differently-priced items). It's a great way to sell multiple items priced the same - especially if there are multiple variations.

I sell thrones and I have three variations: "Basic", "Classic" and "Deluxe" - three price points, but each variation has 12 different styles each. So I have three of these giftex servers (one for each variation) - when you buy, you choose which style you want in this method.

All you as a merchant need do is invest L$550 (less than $3 U.S.) into your business and you save a lot of money in the long run (in work effort and time and now in your XSL listing costs), and also make your customer's shopping experience more pleasant and in this case, empower them even further - especially if they are giving a gift:
"Here's a gift of nice shoes for you and you get to choose the color you want!"
And be sure to set the permissions of your products to help control sales.

**********

Want the whole kaboodle? There is far more detail in the 'how' and 'why' in my book: Successful Business in Second Life (SBSL - Second Edition for 2009/10; 270-pages) is available at XStreet SL. The book includes both, an in-world and eReader version. There also is an Amazon Kindle version, (you receive both: ereader and in-world versions no matter where you purchase it.)

PostHeaderIcon XStreet SL: Pay-to-Stay = Good Thing

Linden Lab has given a head's up that they recognize how screwed-up XStreet SL really is. How it's 'gamed' and a complete mess, with some merchants taking advantage of unsuspecting shoppers (such as selling stolen content or bundling freebies and calling it a "business in a box" and so on,) and how it is full of absolute junk.

So the roadmap mentions that all listings will incur a L$10 per month charge each. Good. "Freebie" items will end-up in their own category. Good. L$0-based items will be removed from search. Good. Commissions will be a minimum if L$3 per sale. Good. The forces all the freebies and into some other corner of the showroom floor so they will no longer be a distraction from my own listings. L$10 per listing is good so that people who sell shoes won;t list the same shoe 50-times, once for each color of the rainbow.

So the surname Lindens say you will now have to "pay-to-stay' and that's a good thing because it will help remove the junks at least through attrition and only the serious merchants will end-up remaining. But of course there are the usual suspects who will overreact with knee-jerk whining and crybaby shrill screaming about it. There are many emotionally unstable who are "pulling out everything" in sheer hysterical panic mode and others who are pulling out those items that aren't selling.

Why? nothing of the policies mentioned in the roadmap are anywhere near implementation
It does nothing but make you look the emotional clown and you only hurt yourself the same way the "merchant boycott" only hurt those creators who participated. I am quite often amused and amazed how simple-minded so many of these 'mature adults' can be. Well, more power to me (and the rest of you) because of it.


If you are a creator and are reacting negatively to this new roadmap of the XStreet SL, then you are making your own bed. Your business flounders because you are not really qualified to be a good business person for business' sake. You don't know how to adapt as all good business people do. The sky is not falling and the earth will remain solid under your feet.

Those who react in a knee-jerk way at the announcement of plans for XSL are in a hysterical fantasy doom-and-gloom world that doesn't really exist except inside their own heads.

The roadmap as defined is a good thing for everyone who continues to participate in XStreet SL (XSL).

The primary goal, as mentioned, in part, by the announcement:
"Our goals are as follows:
1)  Enable shoppers to quickly find the type of item they want, at the quality they want, and at the price that makes sense to them.
2)  Enable merchants to find these customers and put their products in front of them."
I say hurray!

Those merchants bailing now are losing out. No fees or anything else mentioned in the roadmap are in effect yet. It's the same as the Openspace fiasco earlier this year. The instant it was announced tier prices were being raised (twice), people started abandoning their Openspace sims immediately. Their loss. The wise thing would have been to hold-on to it while rates remained status-quo and only abandon at the last minute if no further news or information came through. Which some did: all those who remained are now grandfathered at the second tier level and will not have to pay the third. They were the smart ones.

The same thing here with regard to SXL - if you bail now, good for me. it means my products will now be even easier to find as your clutter won't bog-down my ability to be seen. Your leaving is really a good riddance for me.

The issue comes down to the entitlement attitude: too many merchants and creators, who spend no money to create and sell their creations (read: 100% pure unadulterated platinum profit) expect to continue doing that without any of the normal costs of doing business. They want everything for nothing.

No, don't bother bringing-up the commissions on sales, don't bother bringing-up how you have 50 private sims in your estate and pay Linden Lab $500,000,000 United States Legal tender Dollars every three days and all that crap.

You doing "business" in SL:

Costs.
You.
NOTHING.

You have business expenses in SL only because you choose to do so. The fact of the matter is you can attach a sign over your avatar's head and sell person to person (in which case you'd probably make a lot more sales.) Renting virtual land or mall space or owning private sims are all elective options you are choosing to take.

It's about time Linden Lab cleans-up XSL and charges money just to list there. 

It's a wretched mess, a junkyard with a few ounces of gold-dust mixed-in with tons of mucky-muddy-clay garbage. It used to be relatively easy to search for products in-world and find what you were looking for. Then it became all mucked-up as the gamers started ruining the experience and mucking-up classified adverts and the like with crap keyword spam and irrelevant information.

That's when XSL became the preferred way to shop: easier to search for what you are looking for. Then XSL became a refuse tip as people started gaming it the same way as they do in-world. It is actually easier to search in-world to find what you want than it is on XSL - except XSL is faster to browse and compare products.

The Linden Lab roadmap is a good thing.

You simply need to change your perspective on what XSL really is and should be: a newspaper. Except there isn't any news - it is really more of a "Sears Wishbook Catalog" than a newspaper, come to think of it. Except that like a newspaper, it is full of advertising my 'third-parties'.

To place an advertisement in any real world newspaper or magazine or catalog costs money, per advertisement, per issue. XSL is simply moving to the same model - as it should. This will cause a lot of the garbage chaff to fall away and leave only the serious merchants who, hopefully, actually produce quality.

Don't bother bringing-up the nonsense about "double-charging" by Linden lab. In the real world, can you flip through your favorite catalog and push a button and magically your purchase ends-up at your front door? Obviously not. Don't bother bringing-up web site catalogs by saying "oh, but you can do that at Amazon.com and other web-stores".

True - and you pay a shipping and handling fee.

On XSL, you will pay a listing fee. it's an advertisement, so this is fair and right. When you make a sale, you pay a commission on that sale - Linden's "handling" fee. That's fair, too. So what are you whiners and crybabies whining and crying about? If you are a serious merchant then take the costs of business seriously and stop expecting everything for nothing. You and your damned entitlement attitudes.

If you'd only stop panicking in a hysterical fashion and actually think logically, there are many work-arounds to the changes that are coming - and these will actually increase potential sales by making it easier for me the shopper.

All you whiners and crybabies: stop whining and crying and try being a little creative in how you do business the same way in how you dream-up your creations: be creative. In the long-run, as a shopper, this XSL roadmap will make it better for me. As a merchant, it will make it better for me.

So, if you actually put real logic into what is going on, you will see how this roadmap and these changes will actually give you better visibility and possibly help improve sales (on XSL or In-world or both) - what exactly is there to cry about?

My next post: How to sell multiple items on XStreet SL with only one, single listing.

Sheesh.

Source announcement by Colossus Linden:
Second Life Blogs: Commerce Forums: Roadmap - Managing Freebies on Xstreet SL
art: BadJonni

PostHeaderIcon Second Life Selling Tip 06 of 15: Permissions Paradigms

As of this writing, there are three permissions you may grant or deny the next owner of your creations: Modify, Copy, and Sell (Transfer). Use these permissions to control your sales - and at the same time, provide the most flexibility and satisfaction for your customer. To control sales through permissions, follow this simple rule: If it is worn, it should always be copyable and modifiable. If it is rezzed on the ground it should always be transferable, unless it is modifiable. If it is modifiable, it should always be copyable.


I know it might sound a bit confusing, but here is how it works:

If it is worn (hair, clothing, attachment to avatar) it should be both modifiable and copyable. This gives me the comfort in knowing that if I muck it up through modification, I have an original copy to go back to. Because it's copyable, I can also create different "outfit" folders for "quick-changes". Also, if I create an alt or want a friend to have this, I must purchase another one (rather than you losing a sale because I gave my copy away.) Copyable items should always be boxed - as this forces the buyer to unbox it, thus leaving a copy in inventory for back-up. (And remember to set the box your product is in to the SAME Permissions as the product itself. A copyable product inside a no-copy box can cause problems, especially if it doesn't rez correctly and becomes lost!)

If it is rezzed on the ground - such as furniture - it should be no-modify and no-copy. If I rent homes for example, I must purchase a set (of furniture) for each home - maximizing sales for you. It is very rare that I would give away or gift this kind of thing - the main argument for making clothing, for example, no-copy and yes-transfer.

Even for rezzed items, if it is modifiable it should be copyable - this saves you headaches in the long run with support calls ("I ruined my no-copy skirt! Can I have another?") and prevents you from appearing to be a complete ass ("No, you can't have one, buy another, idiot!") and furthermore again gives me the comfort in knowing that if I ruin it, I have an original to go back to. Also, it maximizes sales for you as I must purchase again for gifting or alts, etc.

There is the unfounded fear that a modifiable object can be duplicated and resold via "prim replicators" (here's news for you, those aren't necessary any more and even no-modify items can be "ripped" easily with bootleg viewers). So, if you do sell your products "no-modify" - do not include a resize or "modify" script in every prim. In such cases you are contributing to lag and becoming part of the problem. There is no good reason to not sell any item as copy/modify, except in cases like the example above with furniture. Take a little time-out and think of what permissions will increase your sales, or better yet: offer two versions: one being copy/modify and the other being transfer.



I personally only buy copyable items unless there is no alternative (meaning I'll go with your competitor for a similar product if they offer a copyable version and you don't.) I am fully willing to purchase again for gifting or alts. The simple knowledge that I have a back-up copy sitting in inventory is a comfort I cannot describe. As for gifting (the main argument most will make for setting their creations to transferable) is a moot point as most vendors offer a gifting option and so does XStreet SL - where you really shouldhave a point of sale anyway. You can always look at the AubreTec GiftServ system, too.

**********

Want the whole kaboodle? There is far more detail in the 'how' and 'why' in my book: Successful Business in Second Life (SBSL - Second Edition for 2009/10; 270-pages) is available at XStreet SL. The book includes both, an in-world and eReader version. There also is an  Amazon Kindle version, (you receive both: ereader and in-world versions no matter where you purchase it.)

So even if your art is optimizied for fast-rezzing in-world, does that mean you should use a "scripted vendor" machine? Or peraps you should consider the "system prim set to sell" instead. You might be surprised at the reasons you should choose one or the other.

PostHeaderIcon Are You The Emperor With New Clothes?

IMs get capped a lot? Do off-line item deliveries fail? Peter Stindberg wrote a damned good detailed blog post on this subject (and in response to that, so did Ciaran Laval at his blog) - but one thing with regard to all of this that they both hadn't thought of to mention is the hiding of your on-line status. (Links to their respective pieces at end of this post.)

As you know by now, I tend to be verbose, so please indulge me. The preference to 'hide' your on-line status actually might be causing you more problems than you realize. Firstly, you cannot hide your on-line status. Period. So you may as well turn that preference off.

As for the issue with failed item deliveries (related to Capped IMs, of course) - I'll refer you to Peter's and Ciaran's blog posts. What I will focus on here is this misinformed idea that the preferences to hide your on-line status actually works at all, and how it is very highly likely contributing to your IM's capping.

Back when the grid and asset and other systems in Second Life (SL) were totally hit-or-miss (constant crashing, failures, slow-downs and all that stuff at the server side) - people were voicing their shrill shouts of epithets and expletives at Linden Lab (LL) to fix it all. And fix it fast.

Among many things, LL implemented the "Instant Message Cap" - plainly to mean after a limited number of "Instant Messages", the queue will be full and all messages after that will not be saved (though they are still forwarded to email if you have that preference turned-on via your account page at SecondLife.com web site.) Before this there never was any cap and every single IM would be nicely waiting for you, even if you were off-line for a week. However, in order to relieve 'stress' of the back-end systems, LL implemented the cap (just as all Group notices are now only held for 15 days instead of the previous 30.)

Since most communication (including back-end, under-the-hood stuff) happens the same way by the same means - those caps interfere with a lot of things. On the user's side of the system, one thing you can do is to turn-off the "hidden" feature in your preferences - as there is no reason to have it on anyway. Seriously.

No.

Reason.

And it doesn't even work.

In the "old days" - there were no IM caps. Everyone could be mapped. Then, LL decided to add a cool feature: to show whether you are on-line or off-line right in your profile page in the upper right. Everyone cheered. As always with those who are professional complainers - be careful what you wish for.

Other new "features" included the ability to block people from seeing you on the map, and the ability to hide your on-line status from friends there (in your friends list.) However, there was a lingering problem of your on-line status still appearing in your public profile.

So LL eventually added the preference to 'turn it off". Which is really stupid because anyone can still see your on-line status at any time - especially your friends, no matter what your preferences are set to. This on-line status 'view-ability' is handled at the viewer, not the servers. In other words: the ability for someone to see if you are on-line or not is simply masked at the viewer level to "hide" the status from you by simply not showing it, even though it's still there.

So do consider this: every time a friend request is accepted (no matter if you or the other person offers it) - a "calling card' file is exchanged. The calling card is how the SL system keeps track of you - the source information for other systems - such as friends, etc. This file sits in your inventory - a little folder called "Calling Cards". These are handy, but never used by anyone in SL - even though they can be quite useful. Think of it as your personal "business card" in SL. See? You don't have to friend everyone you meet because your own calling card is in that folder and you can give it to anyone and everyone.

Open the Calling Cards folder in your inventory and look at all those cards. Unless you've thrown any out, every single person you have ever friended since the first minute you've been in-world is in there.

Notice how some will show who is on-line? Hiding yourself from your friends list really doesn't do any good. And here's an additional little kicker: once someone has your calling card: they will have it forever until they choose to throw it away. Even if you delete them from your friends list later - they still will have your card.

And if I don't have your calling card, it's still far too easy to see if you are on-line. Go to Xstreet SL and search for any "online indicator" - especially those for "mall owners" or "club owners" and the rest. I have some of these and all I have to do is know your SL name. I set one out, put your name (any name of any account - even surname Lindens) in there and viola! I know instantly and constantly when you are on-line or off. It works if you are in my friends list or not. There is absolutely no possible way you can hide your on-line status from me. None. Zip, zilch, nada.

Hiding yourself from friends is really a false sense of 'invisibility'. What's worse is that preference I mentioned earlier:
"Only my Friends and Groups can see when I am online"
Linden Lab would do well to just remove this preference because it not only creates a seriously false sense of 'invisibility' - it is part of the problem with regard to capped IMs and by extension, failed deliveries of items (if you are off-line at delivery time.)

I used to have that preference turned-on (to hide my on-line status from my profile widget - I have no idea why I would want this) - and I often would get "Hi" (full-stop) or "Are you online?" (full-top) and so on. And what's worse is an IM that looks like this from one person:
Are you online?
I have a question.
Can you please IM me when you come in world?
I need your help.
The above counts as four IMs toward the cap. The term "Capped IMs" is kind of a misnomer. The cap applies not to each IM per se, but rather each IM message sent by the 'Enter' key. So a single person (in a single IM) can cap your IMs if they press the 'Enter' key 15 times (creating 15 'lines' in the same IM message 'window tab') - as it is assumed by many the cap is set to 15. So the term should really be "Capped IM lines".

Since there really is no way to hide your on-line status - why do it at all, especially if you get IMs like the previous example? I figured what the hell, I'll turn that preference of "hiding" off. So now when anyone views my profile they will clearly see when I am not only on-line (in green), but also off-line (in red) and guess what? No more of those silly "are you online?" IMs. People tend to write-out a more complete message before they hit that 'Enter' key the first time.

My IMs are rarely capping now. And I have not experienced a failed delivery of an item since. As it turns out, the preference to "hide" from everyone (including your friends) is a complete useless waste of time since it is an impossibility.

It is a silly choice to make anyway. But nowhere near as utterly stupid as "Show in search" check-box being turned-off (a.k.a. "Hide from search") in your profile. You always can be searched in-world and also on the SL web site. The only difference is on the web site - if this preference is turned-on - doesn't show your picks or picture or SL page. It never shows any of the other tabs anyway. Since many of your picks are likely hidden anyway, what are you so ashamed of that you feel the need to hide from web search?

I do know that it breaks some features in-world as more and more scripted items are using your web-based profile for assets. For example, my products offer automatic updates. But if you have your profile hidden, oh-well. My updater won't find you and you miss-out. (/me snickers).

To turn on the "Show in search" preference for your profile, look at the bottom of your profile widget in-world. But more importantly, to stop the "are you online" IMs that help cap them every day, turn off that silly "hide my status" preference in your preferences widget. You can find it here:

Open Preferences
Go to the Communication tab.
Look for the check-box titled "Only my Friends and Groups can see when I am online"
Turn that check-box off
Click OK or Apply (just closing the widget or clicking Cancel will cancel the activity.)

Leaving this preference turned on only means you are another Emperor with new clothes.

Peter Stindbeg's original blog post is here.
Ciaran Laval's original blog post is here.

art: UW-Superior

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