The other post with the long philosophical thumb-sucker and tedious chat-log and digression into Desmond's, um, community fabulousness, distracts from the main issues, so I've distilled them. And Jack Linden himself asked me just to distill it all into questions. So I have:
1. Is it true that you will no longer allow volunteer resident groups to build on Linden Land, such as Governor-Linden land in infohubs or other community areas, due to a fear of lawsuits similar to the Ultima Online/Ea.com 2003 lawsuit (which resulted in a settlement, not a judicial decision)
http://www.lawspotonline.com/vwlaw/liti/reab.jsp Why have you waited 6 years to invoke a settlement (not a legal judicial decision) that does not apply, in fact, does not even apply to Mentors?
2. Is it true that you have run out of funding for Q3 to pay Moles, but that you will not let residents build any new infohubs, such as in Nautilus or anywhere else, due to this lawsuit concern?
3. Is it true that you have signed agreements with resident communities like Caledon to perform volunteer help services for newbies such as in Oxbridge, such that any other volunteer operation is in jeopardy because they have not signed a contract with you? Did this contract involve remuneration from Linden Lab? Did you move to a contracted arrangement due to the invocation of liability to litigation otherwise due to this 2003 UO suit?
4. Is it true that the reason you have not solved the problem of how to balance the newbie flow coming to infohubs is because you have to simply stall, or leave unanswered, the legal problem posed by the existence of groups that already have content on infohubs and already perform volunteer newbie assistance, because if you were to do any new projects or make any new agreements not under contract you fear you could run the risk of a lawsuit like the one that resulted in a settlement in 2003?
5. Is there a ramification here for the future of all resident work and all resident content on the grid, if the trend is increasingly to use hired paid labor to build content in public places, and only to accept volunteer labour if there is a contracted agreement like Community Gateways? Why couldn't the Moles be paid as independent contractors with 1099s issued to them, whereby they would be responsible for their own tax payment? And why can't volunteer work be accepted as it is in many non-profit and even corporate settings in RL without individual contracts being signed?
6. What is the status of all the content provided voluntarily by residents (at their own cost) in Linden-owned infohubs to date, then? Will it be subject to deletion at any time, for no reason or any reason? Would it be possible, if you cannot grandfather this situation and let it lie, to enable residents to buy the Linden land they have been working on to regularize the situation? Given that all land is essentially Linden Land and owned ultimately by Linden Lab on its leased servers, is all resident content in fact in jeopardy?
7. Why are you putting an infohub in Nautilus at the behest of a small group of residents who stand to gain prestige and traffic for their businesses, and not putting this to a larger community referendum? There is significant disagreement about whether even to have one, and whether the location would in fact impact private residences.
8. What is your purpose in managing these communities of Bay City and Nautilus? Will you no longer accept that resident communities are self-managing? Do you anticipate making more of these managed communities?
9. Why can't you give to resident groups willing to work in an infohub, put content in it, and help newbies coming to it, the powers to ban/eject griefers, plant Linden trees, and set landing points? There isn't any objective reason for this, given that you gave some of these powers to the Blake Sea group. Did they, too, sign a contract with an NDA? Are such contracts then in theory available to be signed, and indeed, must be signed if volunteer groups continue on the mainland working on Linden land?
10. Who indeed is in charge at Linden Lab of these matters? The issue of newbies keeps falling between the stools of "Concierge" and "LPDW" and "New User Experience" design teams. They don't seem to talk to each other, or talk coherently to these resident volunteer groups. Who really decides? You said you would assume management of the resident-made infohubs, but what that has resulted in basically is that we are added to a very long list
11. WHEN, if at all, are you going to load balance?! In the last 2 months, all the traffic at all our hubs has been decimated, not because of lack of new signups, which we get at our other venues, but because you have decided -- or some NUE department has decided -- to siphon newbie traffic off to both your own newly-designed hubs and to the Community Gateways. That has resulted in fact in a terrible newbie pile-up in Moosehead Beach that has deterred people from continuing with SL. Open up search/places with the keyword "infohub" to see how this happens.
This was not the understanding we originally had in 2005-2006 when it was agreed that there was a random assignment from Help Island. What we are now finding is that landmarks are even removed completely from some of the kiosks, by accident or design, it's not clear. While it makes sense that you want to award the newbie stream to those customers who are in Gateway and buy a lot of your sims, you should then make that explicit, as a stated policy, and explain what your plan is to enable at least some of the newbie traffic to continue to come to resident-made infohubs, not as repeat visitors, but as new sign-ups. What indeed is the plan for the allocation of new sign-ups?
12. What exactly have you done to accounts to make them arrive at Moosehead. The randomizing landmarks from Help Islands isn't the only explanation for the pile-up there NOR is the issue of return visits (any visitor tracker script would prove that). Are you in fact putting in a "return home" setting into accounts to make them land there after signup? If so, why? Why would you chose only this managed community to benefit?
13. Why, after we met some months ago to tell you about the status of our infohubs in the Resident Developed Infohub did you not tell us that *your yourselves* had the idea to lay on a dozen new ones?! Or did you copy this idea from us? Why did you then proceed to go and put content and work on all these hubs and ignore for months requests to do simple things in the existing hubs?
14. Why are you flogging the JIRA as an activity for brand-new newbies to be drawn to in the infohub? Can't you think of anything better than that? Could existing resident directories of live music, art, etc. be used instead?
15. What is the current position on the use of information kiosks from residents in Linden-owned hubs? Why can't NCI nodes, art gallery lists, live music directories, SL Public Land Preserve, etc. be put in Linden hubs? Why would contracts be needed to place such content? By this logic, Baron Grayson would have to sign a contract to have his prefab serve as part of Pathfinder Linden's office. The New York Times routinely recommends other sites to visit on its own domains. Links are the heart of the Internet, and do not require individual contract-signing with each individual site linked. Can't you adapt that open model of the Internet for infohubs and placement of resident content instead of seeing it as a minefield of labour lawsuits?!
Basically, YOU have to take responsibility for ensuring that the spirit of Second Life does not get destroyed by overzealous and pre-anticipatory invocation of "lawyers". Especially when not even a real law, i.e. a real precent is being invoked, but merely one settled lawsuit.
As stated on the last thread, I'm pretty much with you on these questions. I'd love to see some answers from Jack.
Unfortunately the only useful thing about Jack is that he's British, and since he IS British, he's a disgrace to the country in representing us (badly in my estimation, feedback from others and attendances of meetings he's chaired) as a Linden.
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On Law:
I studied law for a couple of years, and specifically Contract/Business, IT, advanced Civil, and IP law. There are plenty of ways to deal with the myriad issues. No doubt LL can afford lawyers to solve the issues rather than create them.
I don't understand why there is any issue with volunteer work or donation of work, or the necessity for overblown contracts with Moles etc.
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On Content:
Why do so many people forget that the whole of SL is owned by LL? There is no Private land. It's just a lease.
All decisions affecting Mainland content, Linden land content and Private Estate content is one and the same when it boils down to it.
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Why is Nautilus so poorly designed? Ok that's just one I've wanted to ask for ages. Since I visited it in fact. Since I offered to fix it and had no reply from LL. Not that I can guarantee I'd do better, only that I'd put some effort in.
I also take issue with the lack of rez points on Linden roads. Anyone who can drive a vehicle more than 6 or 7 sims without losing it is working miracles, and when there's no rez spot, that's annoying.
I had an idea about buying a 1024 every 7 sims and putting a Garage/Petrol Station there with a rez point. I was going to call them "Essel" garages. Then I suddenly remembered how broke I was.
Still it's a good idea. Are you listening oh mighty department of transportation that never answereth thy notecards?
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On traffic and sim-load:
For goodness sake traffic does not equal profitability. I wish it did. Especially new-account traffic - they can't even buy Lindens (well perhaps from Anshe etc that's what I did when I came to SL).
I really don't understand the mechanics of this load sharing, however I do understand the issues involved, and it does need sorting out so that certain sims don't get overloaded and ruin new signups experiences, nor certain individuals or groups get unwarranted preference.
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Why did Linden Research go Corporate?
Aah sorry just another of my questions to explain why it's all going to the dogs.
Posted by: Mavromichali Szondi | July 13, 2009 at 07:06 PM
"Why is Nautilus so poorly designed?"
On an aside, I'm kind of curious why you think Nautilus is badly designed, and what you think would make it better. Not being arugmentative, I'm simply curious, and would like to hear you expand your thoughts. :)
Posted by: Darien Caldwell | July 13, 2009 at 10:33 PM
Yes, I'm not getting that at all, either. Nautilus seems great to me. I love the cliffs, the canals, the builds.
There are some things I'm not too fond of -- those too-big steps in the theater that are the basic tyrannical gigantism that all totalitarian-wannabees go for in architecture -- and the Lindens are no exception. But by and large, it's cool.
I do wonder what makes it not rent.
Posted by: Prokofy Neva | July 13, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Prok - I hope you answer you deserve.
That would be the type you give those who in comments ask valid and reasonable questions and in response you don't answer you simply let go with a volley of profanities (see and of your replies); drag their RL families into it - e.g. Dale Innis: or worse still ban them and then lie about them - e.g. Rory Serpente.
I expect this will earn me a ban too however why did you savage Dale and totally unnecessarily drag his RL family into things, and why did you ban Rory Serpente when he simply asked if this blog was the most appropriate place to talk about "Octomom".
Was it that they both refused to accept you bullying? Was it they did not do what everyone else does and say "that is just Prok ignore them"?
As I said I doubt you will provide a sensible reply, you will if experience is a guide ban me then attempt to discredit me.
If I where Jack Linden I would ignore you, however Jack is an extremely tolerant person and I expect he shall provide you with an answer.
My last question to you is why did you not address your concerns directly to Jack rather than via your blog?
Could it be you crave and need the public attention it brings to your shallow life, you decide if I mean SL or RL.
Yes Prok I am giving you a "push back" because it is time someone did, because you need a push right back and out of your publicity seeking self-glorification blog.
Posted by: Oink Puddlegum | July 14, 2009 at 02:36 AM
Did you ever get an answer?
Thought not, pity - but predicatable
Posted by: Archie Lukas | July 14, 2009 at 06:31 AM
No, I don't expect to get an answer. That's why I publicized the list.
Yes, first I gave it to Jack, as I wrote here -- duh. He asked me to summarize the blogs in the form of questions, so I did. To answer a lot of these decisions is basically to render a legal opinion that the Lindens don't want to give, so it will have to likely lie fallow.
As for all these obnoxious questions from the aptly named "Oink," who is somebody's alt or something, Rory Serpente, like others banned here, aren't banned for "pushback" or for opinion, or for anything of the sort.
They are banned under my rule that if you incite or cause me damage in RL or SL, you don't get to post here. And that damage in their case is accusing me of libel.
I haven't committed libel, and people who keep accusing me of that get a swift trip to an IP ban and a deletion here. If they can point to some factual evidence that truly deserves a correction, then a correction goes in. 99 percent of the time, it's just thin-skinned assholes who can't distinguish actionable cases from legitimate criticism.
I've amply explained over and over again why Dale gets the most savage treatment mustered. And indeed I will attack him and make pointed and stupid questions about his family because I'm happy to fight dirty whe people treat me like shit for extended periods of time, as a particularly cunning and nasty form of griefing and harassment.
Fuck with me, and I fuck with you, very simple. Geeks only understand force. They get it from me.
People whose posts contain the names of these banned asswipes will end up in the spam filter but they are removed because criticism and discussion is not discouraged here, only actual incitement or cause of damages.
This is consistent pretty much with the U.S. Constitutional notion of "incitement of imminent lawlessness." You don't get to call me up at home and threaten me or crash my sim or threaten me with lawsuits. Do that on your own blog.
Posted by: Prokofy Neva | July 15, 2009 at 01:17 AM
Sorry for the delay. RL is horribly busy this time of year.
I have two main issues with Nautilus. I do like the build, and the theme is a favourite. However, the main issue is the lack of theme management. I was disappointed by the way certain residents were allowed to build modern looking awful builds and terrain poorly around about the area.
There's a brilliant Temple below the wall at one point with a giant statue in it (Zeus I think?) Major kudos to the person who put it together, and then opposite was some condo style build and a random tree house.
There are lots of places on the grid to do that. I really wish that Linden Research would set aside certain areas as definitively themed and stick to it.
Then all the treehouses would have a forest to live in, all the condos would have Bay City etc, and the Romanesque Atlantis stuff would be in Nautilus, and there wouldn't be odd plots out.
The other issue was two things really, but kind of connected. I really like the huge gates and the central 'reservoir'. However when one walks along the wall towards the gate and cross the sim line (as is inevitable at a point where 4 sims meet) there has been a traditional error in building technique.
Instead of overlapping prims below the surface from each sim to prevent sinking, there is just the usual prims side by side. This leaves a delay when you cross server so you fall through the floor and end up embedded in the wall. It takes 2 prims and 5 minutes to fix. That's a basic error from the Moles.
Linked to this point is the freedom of movement in a logical way terrain-wise. The best way to explain this is as follows:
If I were to live at the top of the wall, and you were to live at the bottom... how would you walk from one house to the other?
This means that the story is incomplete. There are no archimedes screw powered lifts to bring people up from water level to the dizzying heights. There are no steps down the wall edge, or roads that link the parts of the top area to the lower.
I am a big believer that when you create a large sim community, you must link the areas logically by paths, roads, lifts, airships etc.
This lets a community flow and work together. There is a cracking public space on the top level set as Linden land, that could be a centre for the community to put on displays, meetings, events etc. But people won't naturally flow there.
Once people have to TP to somewhere (flying is too slow for more than half a sim) then it's a given that it's just as easy to TP somewhere else entirely (ie another sim) and thus there goes your community. Everyone TPd out.
So that's my problems with nautilus. Theme management and, in a way, theme management. *sigh*
Posted by: Mavromichali Szondi | July 16, 2009 at 05:41 AM