I’ve been weighing this decision the most in the last few months. It was decided the best option last night when discussing it with my partner, and this morning cemented when I saw this notice come through my email:
Two Important Changes to SL Classified Advertising
Dear SL Advertiser,
We wanted to ensure that you are aware of two big changes to the Classified ad program.
Maturity Changes: Previously, advertisers declared the maturity level of their ads. However, to prepare for teens coming to the main grid, we will be using the maturity system used for Search that is based on two factors:
Parcel maturity level
Content of the ads themselves
Advertisers’ declared maturity will still be visible in Viewer 2, but will be informational only and not affect the actual maturity rating for each listing. We are targeting these changes for the week of Dec 13th.
Ad Content Limit: All ads have recently been standardized to 256 characters. To maximize relevancy, new characters limits will help you choose only the most relevant descriptive keywords to help Residents find your products and services. Our testing has shown that this limit increased relevancy and click-through rates for classified ads.
For more information, please read about Classifieds on the wiki.
Thanks for advertising!
Kindest Regards,
Linden Advertising Team
Teen Grid is merging with Second Life? That is news to me, but then again, I have been away for a bit. Funny they sent me a notice about the advertisment fees and set up, and that is how I find out about it – my “Ls”.
That rather decided things for me. Yet another LL decision that I am tired of working around the idocies of.
Changes to the “search” engine was bad for many around me; changes to traffic rules and false readings put many others out.
Linden Lab’s genuis changes made to “XstreetSL” – or whatever they hell they are calling it these days, single-handedly put us down.
I have been maintaining the in-world store as long as possible, removing all other luxurey locations and such – and was seriously faced with the question: “Is it time to close the store?”
I have every time LL made one of these ridiculous decisions they claim helps smaller SL businesses, adjusted, tweaked and fought through it to last a little longer.
I don’t really have the time to reconfigure several years work of worth while guessing what LL considers “relevant”. Or to stay ahead of their next brilliant thought.
I don’t have the patience any more, to be quite honest.
The Teen Grid will bring with it new designers and customers, and a new host of problems. I am sure there is a lot of positive spin put on the merge, and there are most likely people that think it is a good idea – I am not one of them. I never was. Didn’t like it when it was discussed some time back as an idea. We all knew then and there that it was going to happen.
Linden Labs’ “ideas” or “discussions” are masked ways of introducing a scheme they fully intend to go through with.
I will be curius to see when merchant certification is implimented – can’t be far off now.
So, in light of how far Second Life has wandered from it’s ideals? No… I don’t have the patience for it any more. I was some upset to find my RL time taken away from it, but no longer see that as a problem.
What does make me sad is closing down all I did, and to now be removing down the one part and source of SL that I got so much enjoyment out of. Creation, imagings, fundraising, events-I had so much of a creative outlet with Lag Designs, it is painful to shut it down.
But, I can no longer maintain it in this SL environment. I will be removing all items from the online stores, and pulling the store itself up-the gallery and my work space are going with it.
I’ll still be around, and Lag Designs still tucked into my back pocket.
I’ll probably still muck around with hair in the sandboxes, a building wanderer like I was before I was gifted a little 512 plot by a friend. (Back when people could actually do things like that, if any of you remember. Was also a time you could see a Linden standing somewhere and speak with them like a normal person.)
If things ever settle down here in the RL, as they may, and if I really want to mess with the New Lindes any more, I may set the shop back up.
Currently, though, I don’t really see that happening. I have a feeling that the Golden Age is over for Second Life – for me, almost definately.
On a fond SL note: I can’t see anyone having any reason to lift my inventory, but as I am not trandferring Lag Designs to anyone, or my inventory to any resellers, if you do see our product for sale out there somewhere, be assured it is stolen content. Oh, and do let me know. Not sure what LL does for those kind of things any more (as I never saw them do anything in the past), but it is good to know.
I have several hair kits still sitting in the inventory, pieces from the 2o1o Hair Fair that I was unable to meet the deadlines of.
I’ll probably put one into a box and send it on to the group – one last “Farewell”.
Thank you all so much for all you have helped me with. For your support, and encouragment, and ideas – for conversations and fun – for challenges and dares – for every moment of SL that I will remember most when I look back on this experience. I met so many new friends and talked with so many different people – it was one part of the business that I hadn’t counted on, but wouldn’t have changed for the world.
Thank you all who made Lag Designs what it was.
3 Comments
Good luck with your new adventures. Please keep in touch. You will always be my sl best friend and probally in rl if we had ever met..Have a great new year.
Hey V, sorry to hear about ya leaving really, you were great at building, in the time I actually get on secondlife now, I do not build. I can not mess with those sculptie things. I cant keep up with the scripting. so I just wander as a homeless hobo, not as fun as it was. hope you are doing ok, and you should keep in touch honestly.
Heh also should include my sl name eh? Stealth Meiji if it wasnt apparent.