1. "...if Linden Lab suddenly needed a cash influx before then...".

I think they're finally starting to realize that a quick one-month profit isn't worth losing 10% of your large-scale, paying customers.

Wanna raise tier fees by 50%? Expect to see at least 10% of private sim owners to just say "screw this" and sell out.

NOBODY who owns a private sim can compete with rental property on mainland, financially. The ONLY reason they're able to continue is because renting on mainland sucks so badly, with crappy covenants and ad-farms every 32m.

I rent on private sims because it's nicer. I should have to pay 100% more because I do so.

Want to keep rolling out new land and bottoming out the rental markets? Lower tier feels to match it. There's no reason to keep bottoming out land values AND increase tier fees on top of it, unless you really feel like trying to drive private owners out of business.

And considering the numbers lately, on how many people join, and how many current landowners buy lindens to pay the tier fees, I think it's time to pay attention to the EXISTING customers for a change.

STOP rolling out mainland. START laying down, on paper, what rules are to be followed and what aren't. This "it's a violation when we see it, because we'd 'know' what a violation is" is just crap. Put your rules down on paper. No ambiguousness here. Stop stringing us along like idiots.

But then we do keep on paying.........

Maybe they've got a point.

Posted at 4:22AM on Oct 10th 2007 by Kahni Poitier

2. err, "I shouldn't have to...."


The errors that spell-check wont' fix.....

(scrubs harder, but the blonde just wont' come out!)

Posted at 4:24AM on Oct 10th 2007 by Kahni Poitier

3. That they would even be *thinking* of another price increase after already taking the price of an island from prohibitively but reasonably expensive (200/month) to ridiculous (300/month) suggests that the whole Second Life business model and possibly any other similar virtual world is doomed, at least in the near future.

After all, this is the computer industry, isn't it? Moore's Law, anyone? Prices should be either dropping for equivalent service, or service and capability should be improving, instead service and functionality continue to get worse and prices go *up*.

Posted at 12:55PM on Oct 10th 2007 by Ananda

4. The disparity between private islands has gone on for long enough. Whereas mainland doesn't have as many features the difference between grandfathered and current islands is too great.

There was a commitment not to raise prices for grandfathered islands through 2007. I don't know why you guys ran that story about price increases. The Novemeber issue comes from the commitment to give 60 days notice, however LL will look pretty silly if they do that now.

Posted at 6:00PM on Oct 10th 2007 by Tony