Socially|Mundane

Jack Linden followed-up on a previous post about "traffic" bot and bots in general, including landbots, camping bots (and camping chairs in general) and so on.

Among jack's comments was:

"Are there other uses for so called Camping Chairs other than for Traffic?"

I actually concur with this statement.

Of course this also brings-up the subject of "lucky chairs" where a prize or Linden Dollars is given to the 'lucky' individual whose name begins with the random letter that appears. I believe the original idea was to both help create traffic while promoting one's wares by gifting items.

The 'traffic' angle comes from the small horde that will stand around the chair waiting (and hoping) their letter will come up next. However, as prolific as this was back in 2006 and 2007, it has faded greatly over the last couple years due, in part to the massive influx of evil freebies across the grid and also because now there are huds that allow users to literally teleport all over the grid, landing directly at lucky chairs that already have their name letters up.

In fact, combined with the worn-off novelty and the influx of freebies and the "Lucky Chair HUDs" - Lucky Chairs are really rather ho-hum and ore a nuisance than anything else. I can't count how many times my letter has come-up and I didn't bother sitting on the chair simply because whatever I am given will very likely be one of these:

1. Something for females and therefore totally useless to me



2. Something that has 'died' as a good seller, so the creator is giving it away - in other words: old news not worth a single Linden Dollar



3. Some object that is utterly sloppy quality



4. Some freebie that I can get anywhere else



5. Some freebie that also is utterly sloppy quality that I can get anywhere else



6. Or, regardless of all of the above: it's something not worth the time and effort to actually sit on the chair, click the "accept" button on the menu, (and since these places are rarely allowing 'create' permissions on the parcel) - hopefully remember what the hell it is later when I can rezz the box, fish it out of inventory try it on/try it out and then delete it.

I do think there might be some "lucky chairs" that pay Linden Dollars, but if they do, it's not very much.

As for camping chairs? Traffic. No other reason. Too many people actually spending more money earning L$10 camping that if they actually bought L$1000. However, for the parcel owner, it helps build traffic and it creates map-dots, which newer Second Life users often scan and pop-to in the hope of actually meeting other living, breathing people. And what's worse is when the camping chairs (or other objects) are full of camping bots.

Beyond that, there is absolutely no reason or purpose or use for camping anything.

May 21, 2009 11:43 PM

Commander Lionheart says in response to Toothfairy Tizzy:

if the lindens are seriously considering eliminating camping they have no understanding at all of what goes on in second life or how the economy functions. Eliminating camping is like announcing you are closing down grocery stores because you do all your eating in gourmet restaraunts [sic].

Camping is a major mechanism to ensure commerce and purchased of goods in second life. The working class in second life depend on camping for part or all of their shopping dollars they are also the consumers. Without campers to move the money from one place to another commerce will contract.. Moreover for newbies especially camping is critical to earn money when they begin. I realize second life sees these people as freeloaders..but without them greasing the wheels second life will experience a major contraction...and with no way to earn money via camping here..it will make other vitural worlds more attractive. Certainly when someone has 20 of their own bots to promote their site there is little real advantage to the communitiy and it distorts traffic...but when they provide camping to others and subsidize revenue of purchasers and use it to atttract people to spend time there..they are helping the community... Sometimes I wonder if second life management really understand how the world they created functions...it is not all software guys...it is the people and the social interactions..between your new policy of adult segregation and now elimination of camping...I can see myself and my friends leaving second life soon...there wont be much to do

A financial analyst without a doubt.</sarcasm off>

Please see my comments above. And it is pitifully sad that so many will burn more first life money than they should in earning a pittance when it is much faster, easier and economical (in Second Life and first life) to just spend $5 at Lindex.

So my reply to a post (similar to the one above, which was made long after the one I am about to quote):

May 21, 2009 1:05 PM
Ari Blackthorne says in response to Sarah78 Alsop:
The death of the money tree is a sad thing.

Perhaps they will return en masse. That would be a good thing.
Or, the new users can do what all of us did at one time or another: buy Linden Dollars from Lindex?

Camping chairs are a scurge.

And to put my money where my mouth is: as soon as camping chairs are outlawed, I'll be among the first to plop-up money trees with a generous pay out.

[From Further Clarification on Bots and Camping - Land and Sea - Second Life Blogs]

I've decided not to wait. I am putting my money where my mouth is and I have replaced the lonely tree on my parcel in St. Diabloux with a money tree that gives to anyone up to a month old. And as it turns out, it also gives landmarks and notecards, and even rewards those who donate to it.

I remember my first couple weeks in Second Life. I remember seeing the money trees. I never went hunting for them, but if I ran across one, I used it. And when I used it, it always was in the fore-front of my mind how generous the owner of the tree and those who contributed were, because I also knew they didn't have to do it.

So after three years on the grid, I'm stepping-up.

The tree is on the ground. My store is via the teleporter up in the sky. So those who come to my tree to use it will likely never see my store. They aren't customers. They aren't shopping for my products. They likely aren't in a position to purchase much as all.

Because it's not about that.

It's not about me or my store or my traffic.

It's about simple generosity.