Socially|Mundane

The thread on the Second Life "Land" blog is growing daily. There's enough there to print-up a novel and it make an interesting read as long as you have an entire day to kill.

However, if you have subscribed to the topic and received the digests in email, it's relatively easy to keep-up with the discussion as it moves along (not so sure I want to say "moves foreword.)

The big debate started out with the issue of bot accounts: remote-controlled, inert avatars that serve no purpose otther than to boost traffic for the parcel they are "camping" on. Seriously, no other use, save "modeling" and "group control".

As for group control, only a single bot is needed unless you need to auto-manage more than 25 groups as each can manage that many. The premise is simple: using a bot, which is really just an alternate avatar account, some scripted objects and the like, the bot can manage groups.

Tateru Nino wrote a fascinating article about the 'true' assets of Linden Lab. I often am just this side of stunned at the fascinating subjects she chooses to cover and the agility and depth, yet pithy way she does so.

It's the kind of easy, interesting read on a subject...or rather an angle on a subject you simply haven't really considered. 'Tis why among all the blogs and news sources, even from Linden Lab themselves, Tateru is my favorite SLebrity reporter. Yes, Tateru. yes, you are.

I follow "industry" news in all the genres I am involved with in first life, which includes professional media; audio, photography, videography and cinematography as well as graphic design and publishing in print and digital forms.

So I was impressed with news that came out of the Google I/O conference this week - kind of a developers version of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for lack of a better description.

The other shoe on Openspace sims, now known as "Homestead" sims is about to fall in July. When the initial tier increase kicked-in on the originally priced at $75 per month "Openspace" sims, where tier was bumped up to $95 a month, there was a massive sell-off.

Sims were either sold, abandoned, or in the case of quads, consolidated into a single full-powered sim.I have no doubt myself that the massive virtual "land dump" was disconcerting to Linden Lab and a Costco case of Pepto was making the rounds for a month or two.

However, in an effort to prevent the same, or in a genuine olive branch of good-will, Linden Lab is allowing those at the $95 tier level to remain grandfathered in at that rate.

By announcing it now, it is certainly hoped a new land rush will occur as people move to purchase new Homestead sims ahead of the tier increase date as all sims at that rate will remain at the rate when the new tier goes into effect.

Update to July 1st Homestead Pricing Plan

So, given that things seem to have stabilized in the Second Life economy and that Linden Lab's business remains strong and our revenues are healthy, we are able to forego the planned Homestead price increase in July for one year, but only for Homesteads purchased (or reactivated, see below) before July 1, 2009. In other words, any Homesteads purchased before July 1, 2009 will have their monthly fees Grandfathered at USD$95 per month until July 1, 2010. This includes any Homesteads that you currently own at the time of this post.

[From Good News: Homestead Pricing to be Grandfathered if purchased before July 1st, 2009 - Land and Sea - Second Life Blogs]

The one part of this wonderful announcement that seems missing is: do remember that even though your tier will remain steady, your allowed and available prim agent (avatar) count and script-running abilities will be going down.

Update: It is my misremembering the specifics on what "goes down" in terms of homesteads. Prim count will remain the same. However, the number of scripts allowed to run (script ability) and the maximum number of agents (avatars) that will be allowed on Homestead will be lowered as per this statement from Jack Linden on January 4, 2009 under the area called "What to expect":

"All of the other Openspace regions will become Homesteads after the restart. There will be no change to the prim limit for Homesteads, but there is an agent cap of 20. Classifieds and events will work as usual. The billing for Homesteads will move to USD$95 per month, starting on the next bill date that falls on or after the 5th January. If you normally bill on the 25th, then your January 25th charge will be USD$95."

Original post by Jack Linden is here.