Second Thoughts

Wanderlust Weekend: Did you ever buy something for $50 that you wouldn't spend a dollar more on?

I think Wanderlust weekend is shaping up to be the best discount event of the weeks, better than Fifty Linden Fridays, and also $50. FLF has gotten repetitive and wan lately. This is indeed pretty, but it comes in all separate pieces so you will spend a time laying them out. This is from "Where the magic begins" 

I hate gazebos. So I rarely buy M. Law Designs things because he's all about gazebos. When it is 30L -- and not even 50 -- I will buy it mainly to take it apart and use the stuff.

This is his Wanderlust offering. Probably couldn't sell it otherwise as 62 prims is a lot for a lot of people. This pier has about 20 things on it it doesn't need. You could take them off and still make it good. Hell, just leave the deck by itself. But definitely take off the piano, it is at risk of getting out of tune from the sea air and waves splashing. 

This house was I believe $100 but my God, it's just unliveable. it has a TP inside and doesn't attempt stairs, but it's one of those typical SL houses that people like to put out and look at like a doll house, but not live in!

This is Chia Mia and well worth it. Fireplaces can be hard to find, especially without stupid candles in them or with no room for logs. This has room and no candles.

Or did he actually even have this for $40, not $50 because my God, if you thought 62 was bad, this is 146 and has about 40 things on it you don't need. Take them off.

But definitely take off the piano, it is at risk of getting out of tune from the sea air and waves splashing. 

 

This is $100 on sale. And had I known of its existence, I would have paid $500. It's a very good creche in a world of very terrible ones. On mod, to get rid of that ditsy Christmas lighting from the future and the candles that look like a BDSM fireplace. Those all go. Maybe the cushions, unless they had kneeling anims. But everything else stays.

The worst thing about 30L stuff is that you buy it again, having forgot you bought it already, and unlike DDD, who tells you that and refunds you, most don't. Which means you have to keep checking inventory and finally you don't want to bother. I do less and less of 30L and 35L and such because I feel like I bought a lot of it already, it repeats, and some of it is God-awful. 

It's worth not buying something even if it is only $50. 

Rental Dementia: "I Said It Was Sentimental, A$$hole"

So, the context for this one.

I have this winter lodge in the land preserve in Seefeld by the Linden's trail, across from the Alchemy store. Rather than just rent it to one or two people, I decided to make a winter lodge, and rent the separate rooms in it (three) to the public. The rent was set at $25/35 with the idea it would be for short stays. That's $180 x 3 or $540 which is US $2.00 revenue per month. The tier on this 2048 is US $5.46 per month, however. So that means that even when it is filled with 3 people (and it always was), it didn't even pay half the tier. What I noticed is that the people who lived there never left any tips. Ever. Just people passing by and having some cocoa on the porch and picking up some free cross-country skies and snow boards would leave the tips. The tips were not enough to cover the tier. It's not much, but it ads up -- all the donations and tier that I get for the Land Preserve I make up cover 15% or less of the tier, and I have covered the rest of it myself with rentals there and elsewhere, but this has become harder and harder as the cost of SL has gone up, even with lower tier (the cashout is less now) and with the need to buy new mesh content to stay relevant.

So I decided to first, double the price. Even then, at US $4.00, it's not enough to cover the tier, even with tips. But it's something. I don't think I could charge more than $50/75/wk for rooms anyway, especially with no skyboxes.

I also decided to limit stays to two weeks. I find that 25L rentals often fill up with people who pay 6 months in advance to lock them in and stay there for ever. I haven't had a policy of limiting stays but I feel like they've lost their purpose then when essentially, a few people then shake me down for rentals that don't cover tier, rather than having lots of people come through to enjoy something as a getaway for two weeks.

More people wouldn't add to the tier, but it adds to the overall pool of customers who might then go to another rental and pay more, it does work that way. People leave a more expensive one, go in the cheaper one for awhile, come back to the expensive, or they start out in the cheap, go to the expensive. Remember, the purpose here is not my fabulous greedy land baron existence, which is all fake. My purpose is merely to get tier paid.

I announced this policy in my group newsletters, and did several things:

o gave existing tenants asked to move one free month at the Lodge or that Pueblo skyboxes, in my new area in Crespo

o in fact found some more cheap snow and put in another inn to add to the spots but still kept this policy

o successfully moved two of the three in Seefeld to other locations and they seemed happy enough and appreciative enough for literally the YEARS they had enjoyed a dirt-cheap rental for me.

At the time I cleared the house out -- and BTW immediately got two brand-new tenants I'd never had before, so the change was achieving its purpose -- a much older tenant who had come and gone arrived and rented. She paid a month and I made a note to myself that I would have to tell her of the new policy since she hadn't read two newsletters about it, understandably, people don't.

I then saw her pay for another two weeks, so that's when I IM'd her, and got a ration of shit. BTW, had I ever bothered to look at her profile (I seldom do with tenants), I would have been warned. Here's what it says:

I'm a phenomenal secret-keeper because, deep down, I really don't care about your shit enough to actually talk about it.

I CLEAN my friends list, if we haven't spoken and/or you turn out to be a fucking idiot, most likely i'll remove you. SAVE the butt hurt act for someone else.

Hm. This person might just be a woman and a total bitch -- OR a man, with that level of nasty. Does this work on anybody, really, except to drive them away? Why do people put such hateful and vituperative statements on their profiles?!

[06:27] Zooey (zeroz.cummings) paid you L$100.

[06:31] Prokofy Neva: Hi, I don't know if you read the newsletter, but there's a new policy for Seefeld (and the price doubled as you can see) -- limit 2 weeks from Nov-Feb. So after your current box expires you should go to another place to give someone else a chance because it is in demand. There's a new inn in Swain, and also the Lodge in Carlisle, and $25 skyboxes in the new area in Crespo, etc. here are some landmarks

[06:32] Inventory item 'Ravenglass Rentals $25 Snow Lodge - Home for the Holidays' offered

[06:32] Inventory item 'Ravenglass Rentals - SL Public Land Preserve Lodge $50' offered

[06:33] Inventory item 'Ravenglass Rentals La Montana Rosa OFFICE' offered

[06:33] ZeroZ Cummings: well, you can refund the money I just paid and i can go elsewhere

[06:33] Prokofy Neva: well as I said you can stay for 2 weeks there but when it expires you should move to another lodge

[06:34] ZeroZ Cummings: furthermore, i had time left and wasnt credited

[06:34] Prokofy Neva: I don't know what you mean by that, the boxes were refunded and people were given refunds plus the cancellation fee

[06:35] ZeroZ Cummings: i only rented the place because my friend that died used to live there. so i kept it for sentimental reasons

Let's stop right there, and note the similarity  with other manipulative, controlling people like the one in the previous post. When someone tells you of a tragedy -- their own, or another's close to them -- in a transaction that is impersonal and financial, what are they hoping for, consciously or unconsciously? They are hoping for pity, hoping for a deal, and hoping you will change your mind.

[06:36] Prokofy Neva: well I'm sorry to hear that your friend died, who was that?

[06:36] Prokofy Neva: but this place is in demand, so I have this new policy because people keep asking about it

[06:37] ZeroZ Cummings: wow, thats crazy lol

[06:37] Prokofy Neva: even at double the price it doesn't pay for the tier that it costs

[06:37] Prokofy Neva: why is it crazy to give more people a chance to live in a nearly-free lodge?

[06:37] ZeroZ Cummings: crazy that its in demand

[06:37] Prokofy Neva: you have had years with me subsidizing your Second Life, and I have never had a thank you or a tip or anything, and yes, it's in demand in the winter

[06:38] Prokofy Neva: so this is the policy, and you can live there for 2 weeks, move out, come back, do whatever, or refund by clicking the same box you paid

[06:38] Prokofy Neva: as for "not being credited" I'm not getting your point, but give me a date you paid and I will check it

[06:39] Prokofy Neva: I see now from your profile that you are quite nasty

[06:39] Prokofy Neva: I have had friends die in SL including one I shared a place with for years but I wouldn't then think that entitles me to a dirt-cheap rental forever

[06:40] ZeroZ Cummings: i said it was sentimental, asshole. i have my own sim

[06:40] Prokofy Neva: yeah, me too, and I need to get them paid and not have bitches like you freeloading on them and being ungrateful to boot

[06:40] ZeroZ Cummings: The person you messaged has blocked idiots.

[06:40] Prokofy Neva: bye

[06:40] ZeroZ Cummings: The person you messaged has blocked idiots.

I looked up the account and saw that indeed, while she paid for a month Dec. 7, the box must have somehow got reset. That does happen occasionally when the Lindens do a rolling re-start. It doesn't happen always -- these rental cubes can be taken back in inventory or returned from a sim to Lost & Found, and you can put them out and they are still ticking with the same correct days left and amount paid. But for some reason -- maybe sometimes the Linden set point is further back? -- they mess up now and then. Since you have a record on your accounts page, it is easy to rectify, I just need the date. But after this this nasty encounter, I'm not sending this person the refund I normally would.

Yes, it's sad to lose a friend in SL in RL. The friend I'm referring to was my friend in the Sims Online, and in SL at one point we shared this mountaintop cabin in Pickering behind St. Paul's Cathedral. He used to have a whole sort of Native American camp there on that sim. Either I bought the patch on the mountain top and he lived there or he bought it and I lived there or they were next to each other, I don't remember. We would sit on the porch and chat sometimes. He was then lost to Gor, which surprised me, since he seemed so nice and educated, but there it is, I hardly saw him after that, although occasionally we would chat. He also loved sailing. The really sad thing there was that his long-time girlfriend in SL and he were finally going to move in together in RL. I believed he lived in Texas or down south somewhere. So she went to his town and tried to get in touch with him. He didn't answer. He didn't log on to SL. He didn't answer e-mail. And she was frantic and trying to find him and IMing everybody. I had no idea, and I wondered if he got cold feet about the relationship moving to RL.

But it was worse -- he died suddenly in RL in his sleep. Maybe he had a heart condition. And died for real, it wasn't one of those fake SL deaths. His brother confirmed it. The poor woman! I felt so sorry for her, even not being a fan of Gor. People have the right to chose their own lifestyles. 

Anyway, I can understand why, if you have a sim, you would still rent a little room in the house, or on the sim, where this friend was who died. But why does this entitle you to be an asshole? After all, you are asking merely to leave for awhile in the winter, and then you could come back. 

To add to your snottiness the crack that this isn't really in demand is just plain selfish and short-sighted. You yourself stayed there for months on end yet you don't think it's in demand -- you saw how two other people also rented it literally for years? Hello? New people moved right in. If it has a vacancy for awhile, that doesn't undermine the point, that it should be made available for more people, not subsidize a few for years.

Russians always note that the other side of sentimentality is cruelty.

Navigable Rivers

I'm a big believer in navigable rivers, creeks, lakes, oceans etc in SL and keep such waterways as are on my property open, because the Lindens cut them badly and didn't think through the conflict generators.

I have neighbours that block entire rivers that become impassible, but then the Lindens refuse to terraform their land down to make it passable -- and it's the right of any land owner to put their land on no-access, sadly, making parts of the Mainland miserable. 

My land is never on no-access on the Mainland. Ever. Anywhere.

So here's what I get today:

[10:22] SanFroggy: (Saved Fri Nov 15 02:52:51 2019)Hi Prokofy, is thete a reason you have a "Spyralle Warning Chi" object blocking a navigable water channel in Tethys? It kinda puts a damper on my travel through Sansara :p
[10:22] SanFroggy: (Saved Fri Nov 15 02:54:03 2019)it's right here - http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife//120/156/64
[10:22] SanFroggy: (Saved Fri Nov 15 02:54:39 2019)wait... that's not right :p
[10:22] SanFroggy: (Saved Fri Nov 15 02:55:18 2019)there - Tethys (120,156,64)

That address is actually Protected Linden water, not my land, but my land is next to it.

But it's not required to go that way nor am I blocking passage nor does it put any "damper" on travel that you can proceed on two ways:

As you can see the tiny stake to the side is nowhere near the big gazebo in the river which this explorer isn't complaining about, but both of our builds are on the land and NOT blocking the river which has passage.

The Linden rock edge might have blocked you there if my stake wasn't there.

If you think where my stake is, is the better route, great but you have rocks blocking you then a minute later -- oh, and a house porch. So even if my stakes were removed, you'd still face the problem of the narrows created by the Lindens. On their land. Which is not my land. Which does have a passageway.

Because, you know, this is a Linden build supposed to be "interesting" and "fun" and "simulate rapids" by, you know, rocks and narrow channels.

So here's what I answer:

[10:29] Prokofy Neva: Is there a reason you're focusing on an article on my land which in fact does not block any navigation (I ride along there all the time) and not on the encroaching articles of the other land owner there who harasses me? While lots of people block navigable water channels because they own the water (see Keuka, annoying), in Tethys it is *Linden water* and I'm not on Linden water, I'm on my own land.

This is an area in which the neighbours have been endless trouble for years and years.

There is someone named Ben Jammin with a build there, with an alt Ben something, who I don't think is the RL alt of the former Linden Ben Linden, but maybe that explains it, because the old, original extremist Lindens often griefed me on alts and despised my critique of their software cult.

But he doesn't mind putting a sign for his gallery right on a Linden rock -- encroaching -- something I'd never have the balls to do with my rentals signs to make sure river boaters saw my offerings:

He then adds a deer to a Linden rock -- well, I'd like more scenery on Linden Land, too, but generally all I do is build a bridge across it for convenience, something that frankly they tolerate if it does not block anything.

I don't think this Ben Jammin guy is a Linden; I think he's just an asshole. His land was put on no-access, then taken off, then I was banned, then it was no-access; since it includes partly water that's annoying but hey, you CAN pass through on this river. Currently it is on access, but it's for sale for $30/m by another group -- I don't the story, but his build is still there. None of it is worth that price.

It's a rocky river rapids with Ben Linden's river rapids "Tubes of Saturn" which you can get here for free and it's fun to ride.

You can ride them down river because, you know, nothing is blocked the river because there is Linden water.

It's narrow, but it's a narrow creek BY LINDEN DESIGN. With, you know, rocks in it. I don't like that Lindens have not put ALL land underwater in THEIR groups and SOLD IT but that's not my problem. Where I do own river it is passable, as it is here. Just not on one side due to a tiny stake -- after a big gazebo which didn't bother you lol.

So why don't I just take it out?

Because the warning sign he is complaining about there is in fact put there as a bit of a joke to this asshole neighbour who harassed me with ban lines and ARs for years.

That Ben Jammin and/or his group members/alts would AR the Lindens claiming that my cliff rocks were encroaching.

They were not.

If they were, the Lindens could return them, which they race to do at the slightest whisper from their friends or really anybody, as they don't like me. But they haven't.

Because they don't encroach.

This asshole neighbour kept IM'ing me and complaining, and also putting ugly stuff up near my land but whatever. Typical petty behaviour. I ignore. Then he found one day on the other side, away from the area he first complained about by half a sim, that a corner of a cliff was encroaching literally a smidgeon.

 

If it were REALLY a problem for the tubes, not only I couldn't have passed, but others would have complained. But it wasn't.

This cliff slipped when trying to place it better for a tenant. I put cliffs there finally only because the tenants find it so hard to place houses or terraform. So if they have a flat Fanatik cliff or whatever, it's easier for them. And looks better.

One day I saw that neighbour had abandoned a small portion of prims, like 112 m of land. Seemed odd, but I immediately requested it because I really need prims there -- there are a lot of land preserve builds and tenants' homes. Even 40 prims is a big help.

I then made a little story which I posted on Flickr, the screenshots based on that little guy sort of appearing suddenly out of the water. And I decided to leave the stake, why not? It's my land. I have a nasty neighbour. And it's not blocking the river, as you can go several routes around it.

When someone can go on a river where they do in fact have passage not only on Linden water, but my land, and not complain about a large gazebo in that river and a deer encroaching right on a Linden rock (but which is actually on the neighbour's land), and find fault with my little stake -- when there are two alternative routes -- what do you call this?

You call this PRIG.

Yes, they're prigs, but this stands for Protected Route Interest Group.

Other people's land is not "protected" and not for them, but they often feel it should be.

This guy is in that group; he may be a spontaneous complainer about nothing; he may be spontaneously complaining once he sees it is my land, and it is labelled "Prokofy"; he may be a more calculated complainer looking around for ways to harass me and pick on things that he thinks "shows me up", as a tactic of this group -- or whatever. They're known to go around and harass competitors.

So I keep a record of such incidents, that's all.

I haven't named and shamed or complained the guy blocking our passage on another sim because he's within his rights, like Adam Schiff noting that the rule is that members can only yield to counsels on 45 minute question periods. Like that.

It's really the Lindens' fault for cutting the water up so badly.

I wish they would do a global revision of this.

UPDATE

[2019/11/17 16:20] Froggy (sanfroggy): User not online - inventory has been saved.
[02:04] SanFroggy: Well, I could get past the gazebo... with the Chi in the way, I have to do a difficult 'S' double turn between the rocks there. And I did try to get by on the other side of the rocks - no go, had to edit the boat through the rocks. I will keep looking for alternate routes though.
[02:41] Prokofy Neva: Well that's because you didn't plan your route, and as a member of PRIG I should think you would do that, nor did you take the turn at the right place, where you can get through the rocks. Usually people ride the tubes from the Linden game there, they don't boat through the narrow *Linden rocks* in the *Linden water* because even if they get through one place, how will they get through under the porch and through the even narrower rocks after my post? Say, we missed you all these years when my neighbour had this water with the gazebo in no-access, which I guess escaped your notice.
[04:04] SanFroggy: Oh, I plan my routes very well. This particular one takes me from southern Sansara all the way to Heterocera, and with my small, manoeuverable boat I can fit through narrow channels and jump down waterfalls. This stretch with the rocks is a challenge though.\
[04:07] Prokofy Neva: Oh, gosh, only Prokofy's stake is in the way OMGODZORZ. Guess you haven't traveled this stretch for years because you failed to notice how this was all in access-only in that area where you're complaining. PS as I said, if you get past Prokofy's stake, then what? Still obstacles because, you know, these are narrow rocks in a rapids created by *the Lindens*. Don't like waterways that have resident land in them because the Lindens wouldn't create more untiered sims? Totally agree. I know of much, much worse areas that the Lindens refuse to do anything about. So take it to the Lindens? Or I know, go to your pal Yevad and see if he can start a hate campaign, like the others he starts against people who are in fact not violating the TOS as he imagines.
[04:08] Prokofy Neva: Maybe you should study the maps better? Or get a smaller boat.
[04:08] Prokofy Neva: https://3dblogger.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2019/11/navigable-rivers.html
[04:08] Prokofy Neva:

So can we go over this again, as Froggy keeps IMing me?

1. This land around the gazebo and where my scary stake is currently WAS UNTIL RECENTLY ACCESS-ONLY creating a blockage on this river which was legal if annoying.
2. Neither Froggy nor PRIG ever complained about that to my knowledge nor asked that owner to take it out of access.
3. THAT it was in access-only can be seen by the fact that the access-only on the land menu is still checked; the only thing is now the "anyone" is ALSO checked because THE LAND WAS PUT TO SALE RECENTLY. Ridiculous price of $30/m no one will pay.
4. The owner released 112 m of land and abandoned it, so I took it for prims. And I put up the stake merely as a joke and made a little story which I hope to find time to put on Flickr.
5. I left it there (it's been there for months) because...it doesn't block the river.
6. That it seems to block the river for Froggy is because he chooses to make it so -- he won't go around through the rocks, perhaps his boat is too big, but he also won't admit that even if my stake wasn't there, he would get into a cul-de-sac from which he'd still have to sail under a porch and through rocks again.
7. So because Froggy keeps contacting me with this faux "concerned citizen" crap, I view this as a PRIG harassment gambit of the type we saw from "Yevad" here  against the LRC's notecard giver which was not in any violation -- and the regular harassment which I experience on Grote from Yevad's discipline Evol Courtois with her idiotic "Good Neighbour" obelisk plus garbage and an outhouse on a microparcel in the middle of my rentals. Oh, well. 
8. Yevad himself has mysteriously expelled me from PRIG for reasons he said I "should know". I have no idea, but it could be criticism of the abusive railroad scheme his pals are pushing, which you can read about here from the blue skeleton .
9. Honestly, this is so much petty bullshit, but I know the price I'll charge for removing my stake in the river in Tethys: restoration of my membership in PRIG. Gosh, is that Prokofy extorting someone like these common furries from PRIG and the SLRR fanclubs putting up hate parcels and obelisks by my land in Grote and Zephyr to prevent them from renting -- which they have done in multiple places? Well, it certainly wasn't conceived of any extortion when I put the stake there, and nobody noticed it for months. I don't want to be in PRIG because Yevad and some of the others are reprehensible assholes. Any group I have going is not a competitor, really, given their in with the Lindens and oldbie fan base, but apparently they see it as such. But if a group is open to the public and anyone can join it, and I joined it and remained in it for a long time, I shouldn't be expelled as there are no grounds for this.
   
   Yes, it's always possible that "Froggy" is just some random guy, who just happened to come by and be inconvenienced, who is totally randomly IMing me because of this, without any planning from PRIG of which he is a member.
   
   That's fine but I also see no reason to remove this stake as long as my neighbour remains the same person/group with the same "access only" checked off which only now in recent weeks has been put to "all access" because it is for sale.
   
   Let me suggest a larger project for PRIG and/or the intrepid Froggy would be to get this Ben Jammin and group Heady something to take their land permanently off "no access". Of course, they might well answer, "Buy our land and you can do that".

          Let me suggest a far, far more important river project to free up is here -- but I guess because it's a lot of my rentals here and ends in a cove, it's not "vital" for PRIG.

          It's called "Das Barenhaus" and owned by a group headed by Maschypnosub Robonaught called Altimore, which is on "private" so I can't see other names, although he looks to be no longer in the People List. His land has been terraformed up in such a way that it blocks the river AND he has "access-only" for his group so there is simply no way to pass at all. You have to put any boat in edit and move it.

        I've tried writing to him to request him to terraform down the land just at the river - 16 m or so in -- and put just that little strip in "access" (he could keep the rest of his land in no-access) so that the river is passable. He has never answered. Of course it's his right not to do a damn thing -- it's his land -- but again, it's a Linden-created conflict-generator that they should fix. They won't. I've asked the the Lindens through a support ticket to terraform down their own hill on the other side to create passable water -- they rejected my request. I can also see their point of view, that correcting these blockage situations will be endless with many claims and they don't want to devote the time and resources to this so that a handful of people can sail boats, when they have way more attractive and expensive land which they provide as Linden Homes in Bellisseria with the premium account, or enable wealthy players to trade among themselves for fantastic sums from which they get the cashout fees, or which they sell at auction (evidently as a sink not a source of funds, but that's still something) -- around the Blake sims.

    There's a build on this land owned by someone named Beefy Calamity. His profile says: "You can't be first, but you can be next. Bottom here who enjoys learning new things. Proud to be a part of the Talon & Rodenberger families."

    Well, I don't fear names like that and he sounds like a friendly guy but he hasn't answered, either.

    I've never seen a soul on this land for years and years, on the ground, or a green dot in the sky, but it doesn't matter. You can do WTF you want on your land. Let me suggest PRIG has more obstructive land-owners to harangue.

 

 

 

 

Rental Dementia: "Can You Put It On Hold?"

So recently I spent WAY TOO LONG being nice to someone and I have to often re-learn this lesson -- it never pays.

I am posting this here not because I bear any animosity to this person or care what he does or what his thing is, but because a person like this will go around bad-mouthing you, no one will see the context, and I think it is a very, very emblematic case of the manipulative hand-out seeker in SL that we encounter way too often. It's very instructive to map out the manipulative techniques people like this use to keep you off balance, keep you feeling awkward or apologetic, keep you feeling sorry for them, and ultimately give them something for free. That's wrong.

People who tell you stories about how they don't have money to pay for a rental, and say they will at the end of the month, or even ask you to hold something -- that's a sure sign of trouble ahead, manipulation, stories that you can never tell whether they are true, etc. So you need to cut it off quick -- and I should have the first round.

So in my first encounter with this character, I made it clear that I couldn't hold rentals -- I also said they were on self-service but perhaps made the mistake of continuing to answer lots of questions -- so that I then let myself in for another manipulative round.

It's rare that when you tell someone the rentals are on self-service, that they keep talking. If you are stern, and makes some jokes about it, and maybe say some other very stern thing, they get it.

This guy didn't, but whatever.

So here's round one:

[2019/11/11 22:27] Triskall Claremont: Hello.. sorry to bother you.. do you have empty lots of at most 250 lindens per week? (If you cannot answer, is there an employee of yours who can?)
[2019/11/11 22:40] Prokofy Neva: I have a lot of lots in those categories, the rentals are on self service, use search/places to see the listings, use the term Ravenglass Rentals
[2019/11/11 22:40] Prokofy Neva: I will send you the land mark to the office so you can see the full listings
[2019/11/11 22:41] Prokofy Neva: so you need to look in Tuliptree, Columbia, Jubata, Patagonia for empty lots
[2019/11/11 22:41] Second Life: Inventory item 'Ravenglass Rentals NEW Office in Maryport' offered
[2019/11/11 22:42] Prokofy Neva: these are all for residences, if you want a store I don't think I have any open at that price, check the commercial rentals board at the office
[2019/11/11 22:42] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I am at your office
[2019/11/11 22:42] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): thank you
[2019/11/11 22:43] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I normally do my homework before I IM someone, specially at 6800L per question LOL
[2019/11/11 22:43] Prokofy Neva: 6800L?
[2019/11/11 22:44] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): its on your picks -> consulting
[2019/11/11 22:44] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): LOL
[2019/11/11 22:44] Prokofy Neva: asking about a rentals isn't an hour of consulting dear

This was maybe the first sign of trouble. One of my picks -- one of my picks -- talks about my consulting fee -- which is rarely ever asked about. Years ago when all those RL companies were coming into SL and trying to pick our brains, I decided to put up that notice and charge them $25 US which is a very modest consulting fee per hour just to stop being ripped off by people picking my brain for hours.

I can count on one hand the number of times people within SL have asked me to consult on something like how to run a business or how to start a rentals group, etc. but the overwhelming majority of those people who merely IM with a question or two get free advice or such.

It clearly marks that what is meant if you want to take AN HOUR of my time.

Honestly, this is a manipulative, stupid, unnecessary question that was designed to make me feel sorry for this person and apologize for HIS misunderstanding of my profile which in fact in some 14 years or more has NEVER been understood as charging $6800 for merely asking a question.

No one who has on their main profile information about a rentals company is going to be doing that.

[2019/11/11 22:44] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I was scared to IM!
[2019/11/11 22:44] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): oh okay XD
[2019/11/11 22:44] Prokofy Neva: I've never had anybody assume that in 15 years but ok
[2019/11/11 22:44] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): 15? You're as old as me... not in this AV
[2019/11/11 22:45] Prokofy Neva: Polia is another sim with lots in that price range
[2019/11/11 22:45] Prokofy Neva: Sept 2004 birthdate
[2019/11/11 22:45] Prokofy Neva: $225/300 prims in Polia
[2019/11/11 22:45] Prokofy Neva: well you will see on the list
[2019/11/11 22:45] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): well in 15 years I never had anyone tell me I was a boy either. which is in fact the case, people assume I'm a girl.
[2019/11/11 22:45] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I'll totally seek and go visit!
[2019/11/11 22:46] Prokofy Neva: well Trish is a girl's name
[2019/11/11 22:46] Prokofy Neva: ?
[2019/11/11 22:46] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): not really
[2019/11/11 22:46] Prokofy Neva: yes, really
[2019/11/11 22:46] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): it depends on the country you are from
[2019/11/11 22:46] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): Andrea is a male name in europe
[2019/11/11 22:46] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): in US, a girl's name
[2019/11/11 22:46] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): Trish is in my country a male name
[2019/11/11 22:46] Prokofy Neva: well I guess you'll have to complain to people who have a different culture then
[2019/11/11 22:47] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): nah
[2019/11/11 22:47] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): just a bit of being understanding. Im a peaceful guy

Um, in the US, and lots of countries, "Trish" is short for "Patricia" and is definitely a girl's name in most countries, and most languages where it appears.

Go and Google this question and you'll see.

Sure, there could be some countries where "Trish" is a boy's name. I know lots of countries, I know foreign languages, I have travelled a lot, I read a lot, and I never have seen in Ireland, Turkey -- or hey, France, which will be relevant in a minute -- that this is a boy's name.

Sure, it might be in France, and some French person or a troll will be along in a minute to "enlighten" us. But honestly, mainly it's not.

So...If it is, great, but here's what we've learned about this situation.

This person DELIGHTS in manipulation.

They LOVE throwing people off balance, making them think they are dealing with a girl when it's a boy -- then CORRECTING them so they feel they are "wrong," and MAKE THEM FEEL apologetic.

These are methods. Sometimes they are learned at workshops, like "pick up artist" workshops or KGB training LOL. Other times they are developed over a lifetime of first parental abuse, and then exploitation or mistreatment or other facts that create the abusive personality.

How do we know this, beyond the bare fact of the name "confusion"?

Because he then says "nah, just a bit of understanding. I'm a peaceful guy" -- as if he is being terribly magnanimous to these bumbling, prejudicial creatures who in fact rightly think "Trish" is a girl's name because it is IN A LOT OF PLACES, especially ENGLISH-SPEAKING,  which is what he is speaking -- ENGLISH. He loves that he can force this awkwardness and misunderstanding at his very first minute of every encounter in SL, and it makes him feel not only powerful but magnanimous.

But sorry, it's bullshit, regardless of whether it's really a male name in France or Brazil or whatever. What it is, is part of his manipulative shtick.

So that's why I cut right to the chase, and I give him a curt dismissal, so hopefully he will go away, or, if he values a cheap rental, stops yammering:

[2019/11/11 22:47] Prokofy Neva: you sound high maintenance
[2019/11/11 22:47] Prokofy Neva: fortunately my rentals are on self service : )
[2019/11/11 22:47] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): well see for the good side: you're not my lover LOLOLOL
[2019/11/11 22:47] Prokofy Neva: if at any time you are unhappy with the service, look deep within your soul : )
[2019/11/11 22:48] Prokofy Neva: no, I'm a 63 year old mother of two living in HUD housing, I should hope not

When anyone starts in with anything intimating that I might be of possible interest to them, I tell them my RL particulars and that gets rid of them fast in that department. And that's another example of creepy manipulation -- most people, when told they are high maintenance, either object and say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." or "Aren't you rude, I'm finding another rental." Good! "Trish" does something more creepy, and suddenly, without cause, makes a remark that you are "not his lover". Um, no. I'm not.  But why is this topic introduced?!

[2019/11/11 22:48] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): oh Im not. Hardly. Just a bit confused. It's my first time needing to rent land on my own
[2019/11/11 22:48] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): LOL
[2019/11/11 22:48] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I dont know what HUD housing is but thats okay XD
[2019/11/11 22:48] Prokofy Neva: well it's a buyer's market, mine are on the lower priced side, I have mostly small parcels, some larger that are mainly taken, a new area but it has a theme: Spanish/Indian/Mexican/hobbit
[2019/11/11 22:49] Prokofy Neva: it's the poor folks housing in New York City
[2019/11/11 22:49] Prokofy Neva: Housing and Urban Development
[2019/11/11 22:49] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): Oh
[2019/11/11 22:49] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): thanks for explaining :)
[2019/11/11 22:49] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I had no idea
[2019/11/11 22:50] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): the only HUD I know ...floats on my window... but again I'm an european... non english speaker.. Not familiar with many things

Hmm.  I deal with lots and LOTS of people speaking English as a second language, and most of them do NOT speak and type and spell it this way. In both RL and SL. So that's all odd, but whatever. There's little reason to believe he's never rented land but again, whatever.

[2019/11/11 22:50] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): and this is about to be my first rental sooooo
[2019/11/11 22:50] Prokofy Neva: well there's the HUDs in SL for shopping and such
[2019/11/11 22:51] Prokofy Neva: well the good part is that you can refund if you don't like it unlike most places but for a cancellation fee which is returned if you rent elsewhere in our system
[2019/11/11 22:51] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I just dont like noisy neigbors. But apparently noise, lag stuff etc is forbidden in most
[2019/11/11 22:52] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): and orbs are allowed so thats ok too
[2019/11/11 22:52] Prokofy Neva: in my rentals only in the sky
[2019/11/11 22:52] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I'd go for a skybox yes
[2019/11/11 22:52] Prokofy Neva: yes weapons, laggy scripts etc are returned
[2019/11/11 22:52] Prokofy Neva: well you said "empty parcel" so I thought you meant no builds, on the ground, but if you want a skybox, I have zillions of those, some as bed & breakfast, i.e. room and attached skybox such as in Refugio
[2019/11/11 22:52] Prokofy Neva: others just straight up skybox from the ground
[2019/11/11 22:53] Prokofy Neva: still others from a place like a palace as a landing, i.e .in Winnipeg
[2019/11/11 22:53] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I do want an empty parcel
[2019/11/11 22:53] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I'll put my own stuff
[2019/11/11 22:53] Prokofy Neva: well if you want the parcel on the ground to be empty to put stuff, and a skybox that you put up, then see my first answer
[2019/11/11 22:53] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I never had to rent anything, but I'm a decent builder
[2019/11/11 22:53] Prokofy Neva: also Ravenglass the sim has a few empties
[2019/11/11 22:53] Prokofy Neva: did I mention also Patagonia
[2019/11/11 22:54] Prokofy Neva: Grote has larger lots and camp sites, the houses can be removed there if they aren't the B*B houses, there are some for $250 along the river there
[2019/11/11 22:57] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): Im looking at your places
[2019/11/11 22:57] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): will go to grote next!
[2019/11/11 22:57] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): they're all main land?
[2019/11/11 22:58] Prokofy Neva: yes in that price range of $250
[2019/11/11 22:58] Prokofy Neva: $1250 for 4096 on the island
[2019/11/11 23:08] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I'll keep looking, you have a LOT of stuff to visit. Thanks for talking to me. If I manage to get a better budget I'll consider the island

Hmm. Islands are $1200/1250. $1000 is not much less. We began talking about $250, then $400.

Honestly, the spread is usually not this wide.

[2019/11/11 23:08] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): not sure what is the prims in one
[2019/11/11 23:08] Prokofy Neva: where is that?
[2019/11/11 23:08] Prokofy Neva: usually they are $250/300 or $250/350
[2019/11/11 23:09] Prokofy Neva: the land description has the price and prims
[2019/11/11 23:09] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): this one you mentioned
[2019/11/11 23:09] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): [22:58] Prokofy Neva: $1250 for 4096 on the island
[2019/11/11 23:10] Prokofy Neva: sorry the island is $1200/1250 prims
[2019/11/11 23:10] Prokofy Neva: Ravenglass Realm it's called
[2019/11/11 23:11] Prokofy Neva: but you could get an empty lot for half that on Mainland
[2019/11/11 23:12] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): same li?
[2019/11/11 23:13] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): prims oO
[2019/11/11 23:13] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): or half prims too
[2019/11/11 23:13] Prokofy Neva: mainland would have more prims
[2019/11/11 23:13] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): interesting I didnt know that
[2019/11/11 23:13] Prokofy Neva: the tier is less on mainland
[2019/11/11 23:13] Prokofy Neva: it has less features
[2019/11/11 23:14] Second Life: Inventory item 'Ravenglass Rentals $900 Riverside in Moraine' offered
[2019/11/11 23:14] Prokofy Neva: $900/1038
[2019/11/11 23:15] Second Life: Inventory item 'Ravenglass Rentals $400 Waterfront in Winnipeg 6' offered
[2019/11/11 23:15] Prokofy Neva: $400/500
[2019/11/11 23:19] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): Im keeping these LMs... I like these you showed and the other lot on this same last tim
[2019/11/11 23:24] Second Life: Inventory item 'La Montana Rosa' offered
[2019/11/11 23:24] Prokofy Neva: Here is a sheer pink mountain that looks out on Bella, a piece of this can be cut for you at .5/prim on this side, the other side is going to be Inca
[2019/11/11 23:29] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): https://gyazo.com/23f0b829ff119718842a534caa5dafd5
[2019/11/11 23:29] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): some wacko crashed a helicopter here lol
[2019/11/11 23:29] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): and left
[2019/11/11 23:30] Prokofy Neva: yes I wrote to him, next stop, AR to Lindens
[2019/11/11 23:30] Prokofy Neva: I can't return it
[2019/11/11 23:30] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): jesus
[2019/11/11 23:30] Prokofy Neva: it's crashed half on my land, half on the other people's
[2019/11/11 23:30] Prokofy Neva: when that happens you can't return
[2019/11/11 23:30] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): yes
[2019/11/11 23:30] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): oh no... thgat has to suck
[2019/11/11 23:30] Prokofy Neva: oh wait I got it to return
[2019/11/11 23:31] Prokofy Neva: sometimes if you try to drive it even if you can't it nudges
[2019/11/11 23:31] Prokofy Neva: so that's gone
[2019/11/11 23:31] Prokofy Neva: now there's just a big bright rock, and...Bella : )
[2019/11/11 23:32] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I think I like the greens more lol
[2019/11/11 23:32] Prokofy Neva: well that side is all skyboxes and shops in the sky
[2019/11/11 23:32] Prokofy Neva: but if you like rugged camping, there it is
[2019/11/11 23:32] Prokofy Neva: the other side is Inca/Spanish/India tho
[2019/11/11 23:32] Prokofy Neva: if you want modern you will need another sim
[2019/11/11 23:33] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I like modern and countryside
[2019/11/11 23:33] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): in this order, too
[2019/11/11 23:33] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): that last sim had good modern homes for example
[2019/11/11 23:33] Prokofy Neva: yes well that's what the tenants put out
[2019/11/11 23:33] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): yes :D
[2019/11/11 23:33] Prokofy Neva: I have FLW's Fallingwater for $1000, 750 prims for your use
[2019/11/11 23:34] Prokofy Neva: I personally find that house hard to live in
[2019/11/11 23:34] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I'd put my own house too
[2019/11/11 23:34] Second Life: Inventory item 'Ravenglass Rentals $1000 Waterfront in Ravenglass' offered
[2019/11/11 23:34] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): secondlife:///app/agent/bbfb88f5-f933-43ba-9142-9a6c0dc97084/completename received your inventory offer.
[2019/11/11 23:34] Prokofy Neva: well you could do that on that parcel, I just offered that as a special this week with mgt prims don't count
[2019/11/11 23:35] Prokofy Neva: if you don't have that house it's like $1000/1400 I think, check the land description
[2019/11/11 23:35] Prokofy Neva: but if you are starting out renting you might be happier with a lower price
[2019/11/11 23:36] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): you're talking about the huge ass red house behind me...??
[2019/11/11 23:36] Prokofy Neva: huge ass red house where?
[2019/11/11 23:36] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I lolol always wanted to visit
[2019/11/11 23:37] Prokofy Neva: Fallingwater?
[2019/11/11 23:37] Prokofy Neva: it's that FLW copy in Ravenglass the sim you mean?
[2019/11/11 23:37] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): https://gyazo.com/94566a709e89d0209757c777e514b5c5
[2019/11/11 23:37] Prokofy Neva: yep that's it
[2019/11/11 23:37] Prokofy Neva: 800 plus prims
[2019/11/11 23:38] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): can I visit?
[2019/11/11 23:38] Prokofy Neva: yes of course
[2019/11/11 23:38] Prokofy Neva: you can join the group which is on open and test your house anywhere
[2019/11/11 23:38] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): yes I dont enter houses without asking even if they're to rent

Again, note that this is manipulative bullshit. If a land is for rent, you can fly into it. Often I see people joining the group thinking that only if they join the group can they get into it. They don't realize that if it is an open group, that makes no sense LOL. If a rental needs a group that wishes to keep a lot closed to non-rental, it issues the invitation, and doesn't leave it on open, but before it is out on the market to rent, obviously you have to be able to fly in to see it.

It's just not the case that land will be closed, requiring you to IM a landlord like in real life and get a key.

If this guy is genuinely clueless because  he has never rented, he's just been flying around to a bunch of possible rentals that he....flew into.

So his asking if he can enter this house is about fake obsequiousness; it's about throwing a person off guard and again, making them feel they are doing the wronging, and the other person is in the right and even apologetic.

It's a method. It's a technique. It is even trained by entities like the KGB, as I said, or the pick-up artist seminars. In some cases, it is simply learned behavior, from abusive and abused environments.

Not playing, whatever it is.

[2019/11/11 23:38] Prokofy Neva: there are different groups on different sims, check the land description
[2019/11/11 23:38] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): okay
[2019/11/11 23:38] Prokofy Neva: well how would anybody rent them then?
[2019/11/11 23:38] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I dont know. Im a role player
[2019/11/11 23:39] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): we just dont enter people's houses! it's a default of good etiquette! XD
[2019/11/11 23:39] Prokofy Neva: well these aren't anybody's homes yet, they are out to rent
[2019/11/11 23:39] Prokofy Neva: once they are rented people can use ban etc and put on no-build
[2019/11/11 23:40] Prokofy Neva: as I said I don't allow orbs on the ground because it makes for a nasty experience for your fellow tenants
[2019/11/11 23:40] Prokofy Neva: if you need a bunker, go to the islands and pay a higher price
[2019/11/11 23:45] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): On the ground, its not my interest to put a orb
[2019/11/11 23:45] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I dont have a real store
[2019/11/11 23:45] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): but I have a photo gallery
[2019/11/11 23:46] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): people can't get my services unless they visit it

Another big, fat marker for manipulation.

It actually isn't on his profile among all his "rules".

But if he's a prostitute providing services, which is fine, he can't be in my residential rentals; I don't let people use them for their business, exploiting my cheap land, and creating more traffic and possible problems around people trying to live a residential life.

He's also doing another little manipulative gesture to let you know that he is exclusive and special and requires people to view pictures before they can hire him.

I frankly don't want him even in my stores because prostitution often leads to fights and griefing, but if he rents a store and pays commercial rents, I don't care what he's selling.

I decided not to "get into it" with him about what kind of establishment he wanted to put on my land because...he hadn't paid rent. He was two weeks out from paying rent at best!

[2019/11/11 23:46] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): then on the sky, after the 500th mt, Id put a skybox
[2019/11/11 23:46] Prokofy Neva: ok sounds good
[2019/11/11 23:47] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): My RL payment should be here at most end of month and until then I will visit plenty but I have one I already like
[2019/11/11 23:47] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): a lot anyway
[2019/11/11 23:47] Prokofy Neva: ok
[2019/11/11 23:47] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): so if when my money comes its still there it'll be that one
[2019/11/11 23:47] Prokofy Neva: which one is that
[2019/11/11 23:49] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I came back to see lolol
[2019/11/11 23:49] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): you have two in Moraine
[2019/11/11 23:49] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): either or
[2019/11/11 23:50] Prokofy Neva: yes there are several there, $400, $900, $950, also some B&Bs
[2019/11/11 23:50] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): this one Im at is 400
[2019/11/11 23:51] Prokofy Neva: I have no idea if it will still be available in 2 weeks but since the one that's $900 was just put out it may be
[2019/11/11 23:51] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): the other I think 950
[2019/11/11 23:51] Prokofy Neva: yes there's one across the river too
[2019/11/11 23:51] Prokofy Neva: just vacated
[2019/11/11 23:51] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): /me tries to stretch eye
[2019/11/11 23:53] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I dont know Miss Neva.. I like this one tiny here lol

[2019/11/11 23:53] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): and the other one near
[2019/11/11 23:53] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): they're my favorites
[2019/11/11 23:53] Prokofy Neva: ok well check back if they are still available
[2019/11/11 23:54] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): I totally will and if I get cash before that I'll just get it
[2019/11/11 23:54] Prokofy Neva: ok
[2019/11/11 23:54] Prokofy Neva: if Im' not here IM my son Henry Hutchence to be given resident status
[2019/11/11 23:54] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): the cute garden comes with?

I view this as the typical chisel of the manipulative person trying to grab more. The garden is in fact clearly a landing area/boat launch.

But maybe it isn't clear if he isn't turning on property lines, so whatever. But it's just one more thing...

[2019/11/11 23:55] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): https://gyazo.com/26490a43a54977fcf0b1760c56505d3d this
[2019/11/11 23:55] Prokofy Neva: the garden is like a public garden for that community, a little hangout
[2019/11/11 23:55] Prokofy Neva: oh that's the boat launch
[2019/11/11 23:56] Prokofy Neva: use world/show/property lines after joining the group but you can use those hangout areasa there and on the other sim across the way, there's a palace
[2019/11/11 23:56] Prokofy Neva: *areas
[2019/11/11 23:56] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): okay
[2019/11/11 23:57] Prokofy Neva: oh but boating is blocked up river by some idiot with access only
[2019/11/11 23:57] Prokofy Neva: but you can go a ways
[2019/11/11 23:57] Prokofy Neva: we have boating also in Carlisle, Ravenglass, etc. with docks
[2019/11/11 23:58] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): he should remove the access but whatever
[2019/11/11 23:58] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): some people are stingy
[2019/11/11 23:58] Prokofy Neva: believe me, we've all petitioned, even for years
[2019/11/11 23:58] Prokofy Neva: I've tried to get the Lindens to terraform their hill down to compensate but they won't
[2019/11/11 23:58] Prokofy Neva: so let's call it portage there in Keuka
[2019/11/12 00:00] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): XD
[2019/11/12 00:00] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): what access he demands?
[2019/11/12 00:00] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): the buyer?
[2019/11/12 00:00] Prokofy Neva: well you know how people put "access only"
[2019/11/12 00:00] Prokofy Neva: so only their group can be there
[2019/11/12 00:00] Prokofy Neva: well sadly that includes the river as the Lindens didn't cut it well there
[2019/11/12 00:00] Prokofy Neva: so even tho I own some land there I can't terraform it down further
[2019/11/12 00:00] Prokofy Neva: so it is what it is
[2019/11/12 00:01] Prokofy Neva: you can visit the Society for Virtual Architecture we have there which has a secret Masonic temple underground and in the sky
[2019/11/12 00:01] Prokofy Neva: but you have to TP there because the river is blocked
[2019/11/12 00:01] Second Life: Inventory item 'SOCIETY FOR VIRTUAL ARCHITECTURE' offered
[2019/11/12 00:02] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): thank you
[2019/11/12 00:17] Trish Claremont (triskall.claremont): Good night and thank you for talking to me *hugs*
[2019/11/12 00:18] Prokofy Neva: ok take care

 

Uh, I don't need a hug, because I'm just a landlord. Not a lover, remember? Some people don't know their boundaries.

For some reason, a day later, I got this:

[2019/11/12 17:27] Triskall Claremont: AFK a few, having a meal... please leave me a message. Thanks.
[2019/11/12 17:27] Triskall Claremont: AFK a few, having a meal... please leave me a message. Thanks.

Some SL glitch.

So today, after a trip out of town, I come back to a parcel where I had a house, but then took it off for various reasons, then went AFK to attend to RL chores. I come back and this guy is camped on the lawn. As you can see, I spent way too much time with him, and should have just logged off if he wouldn't stop chattering. But I tried to be polite and answer questions and even be helpful.

 

But here's what ensues:

[12:01] Triskall Claremont: hello again LOL
[12:01] Triskall Claremont: you seem asleep
[12:12] Triskall Claremont: I like this plot. A lot in fact. My money only comes on the end of the month as I had chemo yesterday but we're trying to earn more. I am wondering if you can put it on hold for either me or my friend who will live with me?

 

OK let's stop right here. Why does your having chemo have anything to do with you having or not having money? You either have US $3.75 per week, which this rental costs -- and that's quite cheap for 1230 prims on waterfront -- or you don't. (or you can get 10% discount of that if you pay 4 weeks in advance.)

You don't HAVE to rent it; you could even rent something a third of that price (see above, which I was asked to hold and say no).

Why does your status as a cancer victim, having to have chemo, mean that you are entitled to charity concerning a US $3.75 rental in a virtual world? It doesn't. If the implication is that this person pays for their chemo therapy, understood, but then if you don't have $3.75 for entertainment online, you need to save what you have for FOOD. Many people getting chemo, even in the third world, don't pay for chemo, or those that do have bills that they don't pay at once.

But basically, there is no linkage between your status of getting chemo, and your needing two weeks or so to get the rent money together. If you have $1000 to pay for chemo, $3.75 a week for a rental -- or $1.50 a week -- is not going to be a big deal. 

Once again, this statement is a non-sequitur:  "My money only comes on the end of the month as I had chemo yesterday". Especially as it was invoked previously as merely "money at the end of the month" of the type anyone has with a paycheck or stipend or relief, and was not connected to chemo, except insofar as it might be social security or welfare. But again, welfare in a third-world country suggests that if you don't feel you have $3.75 a week for your entertainment, then...don't spend it.

And then look at the next part:  "we're trying to earn more".

Oh? So your rental money is going to depend not on your RL stipend/welfare, but what you earn in SL? Well, lots of my tenants earn money inworld as all sorts of jobs and some even put in what are the equivalent of nickels or quarters per day, as they earn it. That's fine. Not everybody has RL money or can spend RL money so they use SL earnings. But again, "trying to earn more" suggests instability and uncertainty that would suggest you should take on a rental. Find a $25 or $35 skybox (I have them but there are elaborate ones with scene changes even better than mine). 

Note this is the third option this person has indicated. First, they wanted to spend $250, so I sent them those kinds of landmarks. Then they liked a $400 lot. I'm not some high-pressure salesman who is going to push you into spending more you can afford, as I want the rent paid, so I don't have to expel you. So don't spend $400. But that was where it was left -- and now suddenly it's $1000? Really? $250 was likely not affordable for someone in Brazil, Brazilian or not; $1000 even more so.

This is the point where a curt ("well, if it's still here at the end of the month you're welcome to rent it" would suffice -- but the only reason I decided to hold it is that this particular parcel had a constant issue with some idiot neighbours putting bullshit up in the water and therefore didn't rent. I didn't want to turn waterfront into skyboxes. At that moment in time, there was actually nothing in the water, but there could be tomorrow. So I said I'd hold it for pure pragmatic reasons, even before I had to hear more nonsense -- and I made that decision not on the basis of "chemo" or "welfare" or "earning" iffyness but pure pragmatic concern, that this lot hadn't rented for weeks while it had first a Big Boy, then a big house in front of it. Some people tolerate that; most don't:

[13:08] Prokofy Neva: Hi, yes I can hold it until the end of the month, I will remove the rental box, IM me when you're ready
[13:09] Prokofy Neva: I thought there was one you wanted that was cheaper in Moraine but if you'd rather have this one, you could
[13:11] Triskall Claremont: to be honest this here is ...how to say, calmer looking
[13:11] Triskall Claremont: LOL
[13:11] Triskall Claremont: has more prims too. The ad said 1k/ 1250 prims was it not?
[13:12] Triskall Claremont: on search

Actually the ad said 1230. I had to re-do the ad because it had been changed to a manager's special with house included but then I ditched that, it hadn't rented either.

Reviewing this situation, I felt for sure it called for a stern warning, or I would be looking at sad stories, over prims, friends with overprimming, non payment of rent and worse for weeks on end -- which BTW, I just finished enduring for months on that sim from some Russians, to whom I tried to give the benefit of the doubt as they had been there for years, but who took advantage of me one too many times and they were then removed.

[13:12] Prokofy Neva: Remember that many people have sad stories in SL. All kinds of people. Some other people are on chemo, but they pay for a rent like this and pay it on time. So please don't expect some kind of charity from me, I cannot give it. The only reason I am holding it is because it has not rented and I first put that FLW house on it then took it off, it doesn't rent because there is a house in the view on the water in front of it

First of all, it's simply not fair to the people who I know for a fact have RL cancer or very impoverished circumstances, who pay even more expensive rents and pay them on time; people with all kinds of impossible situations -- the death of a spouse, the death of a child, Alzheimer's of the spouse, cancer of the spouse or the tenant etc etc. People have unbearably sad and difficult stories in SL that sometimes we have no idea about. And the most humble of them never tell you. Those that tell you don't expect a handout. Those that feel the need to tell you AND ask for a favour can sometimes be involved in a hustle. And you have no way of knowing. So because you have no way of knowing, you can give them the benefit of the doubt, or give them a lecture and tell them straight that you're not a dupe. If they get angry, fine, no need to rent from me, move along, SL is a big place.

[13:12] Prokofy Neva: It's 1230
[13:15] Triskall Claremont: I am not expecting charity from anyone. But 90% of people have some sort of insurance. I live in Brazil (although I am not Brazilian), and if I am to buy 100 lindens here, I don't eat for a month since I am living on family charity and I am only a translator. I am not asking anything free though.

So let's find out what the average food basket is in Brazil; the cost of living is about half what it is in the US, where SL is based, after all, and which uses the dollar tied to its own internal currency. So the daily minimum amount -- NOT monthly -- is, in the equivalent of US dollars, $4.49. 

Yet this fellow claims that if he "buys 100 Lindens" (surely he must mean 1000), he can't eat. But 1000 Lindens = $3.75 or actually $3.77 at this exact moment in time on the LindEx at the rate of 257 Lindens per US dollar, after fees for conversion are adding in. $3.75 is the figure I used even when the Linden was worth more and cashed out at 252, simply because the sell rate conversion doesn't include the *other* fee of cashing out to PayPal, which has now gone up. I continue to use $3.75/1000 as a rule of thumb, but really, I should sit and calculate it now with this new fee, because it is not worth much to evaluate the Linden based on the cashout price which you can only use to pay tier; you have to base it on its value cashed out to RL on PayPal, to be used for any bill.

100 Lindens is only 38 cents. But since this rent was 1000 I'll assume he met buying 1000 Lindens for the equivalent of $3.75 value. Yes, when you BUY as distinct from SELL Lindens you pay 266 to get them in 10 minutes (not the instant option, but surely you can wait 10 minutes) so that 2500 is available for $10.89. That works out to $3.76, so virtually the same thing, because while it says 266 and not 256, it's based on its value for sale.

Let's point out that this person, who has "not asked for anything for free" in fact...just asked me before I went out of town for me to short myself possibly more than two weeks of rent on a parcel for $400; now he was asking to short me and deprive me of rent for two weeks for a $1000/wk rental.

Why is that ok?

Who does that?

Let me suggest most people do NOT do that, even people dying of cancer (and some of my tenants have died on me, and it's been quite sad, and I have known their stories are true either by meeting them in RL; seeing a RL obituary; talking to a bona fide RL partner -- I've also had tenants with fake cancer and sob stories about not paying the rent which don't add up).

You see, when you just literally read what this person has said and what they are doing, you can see their bullshit, their manipulation, and their in fact begging for something for free -- two weeks of rent to hold something.

Some landlords might do this; most won't. I'm only doing it for a lot that wasn't renting anyway.

This isn't because I'm a rich land baron (see above). It's because I need the tier to be paid or I don't do it. If it's not paid, I can't tier your Second Life.

[13:16] Triskall Claremont: I pay everything from my pocket, as I sit here I am trying to translate a menu from a local restaurant that won't pay me 20 dollar
[13:16] Triskall Claremont: I pay for my chemo, it's 1000/month

Well, I'm not so stupid, and I do know that healthcare in Brazil, even for foreigners and non-residents is FREE. Now, all kinds of circumstances can arise that may make some element of care not free. But if you are French, you can go back to your country and have FREE HEALTH CARE THERE. Again, all kinds of circumstances arise. Maybe you are too sick. Maybe you are French without French citizenship although it is a country with plenty of socialism on the health care front, trust me. But $1000 for Brazil strikes me as questionable; that figure frankly seems high even for the US, without insurance.

And guess what. I'm a Russian translator. And even in the "first world" of New York City, I totally know what it is like to only have a job of the equivalent of a restaurant menu, or a resume, or transcript or -- hey, a game localization -- for which I will only earn $20 per job or day or whatever. With maybe no job like that the next day and the day after. Translation rates worldwide are pushed down by the Internet and sites like fiverr. So please, do not try to top me with stories of pain and suffering as a translator and poor person. You may not win.

Fortunately I don't pay for chemo, but the medicines and treatments for my rare immune disease are as expensive or more per month. Now I'm fortunate I have Medicaid. But trust me, I know exactly what it is like to pay a lot of money for health care for myself and my children; one died in infancy and generated a health care bill of $100,000 plus; another was in a severe accident and generated a health care bill of $120,000. I know what it's like to pay bills like these for years, and petition all kinds of authorities to reduce or dismiss them or finally get state health care so I don't have to pay $400 US or more per month for. And BTW I got health care even before Obama Care in my state because, you know, while we don't have socialism (and ObamaCare was a good thing for many, and I voted for him in his first term), our state provided subsidized medical care for single parents like me with low-income jobs and later sick children or who became sick myself. Little known fact about America who people fail to admit when they go on Twitter to boast about health care horrors. Please don't try to one-up me on health care horrors. I can top many of your stories. So just don't go there. You don't have to have socialism or single-payer or "Medicare for All" to have a better health care system that covers genuine needs. And we have more of one than most people yammering about this admit.

Next, I decide to go full-bore, to really burn in my message.

[13:16] Prokofy Neva: Brazilians consistently, constantly, almost always rip me off, overprim, and make up stories, to the point that I am almost ready to discriminate on national grounds which goes against my principles

Yes. I've had so many zillions of bad experiences now that I really am ready to discriminate, as much as it goes totally against my principles. I've had the most bizarre situations -- a guy building an entire tower on a 4096 and re-renting it out to 25 of his friends and collecting their rent (um, I don't allow sub-lets); multiple times when people put their transparent prims over my rental boxes and collect rent to themselves while making it look like mine is still there; people putting out a thousand prims on a rental that allows 25; people putting thousands of prims out as squatters; coming back on alts; coming back and rooting across sims or parcels so maybe it won't show as much; people screaming at me even if their lot has been held for beyond the two day grace period; people demanding I instantly TP so their inworld translator will work in chat because they are too lazy to go on Google Translate -- which is, you know, what I do? Hello. All Brazilians. Nearly in every case.  Tab your fucking browser down, please, and use Google, like I do.

Honestly, so many many many bad experiences of Brazilians ripping me off, cheating me, then screaming at me and griefing me for hours, that I am nearly at that point. Of course I have had some good Brazilian tenants. But lots and lots of really bad ones. Recently I recall expelling one that had linked up all her prims in a house putting her prim load at 10 times the allowable amount, forcing other prims off the sim, and denying others the use of their prims. I have to return a house like that where stupidity reigns supreme, where one message, two messages about how you can't link prims like that got no action, and where I am harassed and griefed for days afterward, despite the obvious problem.

Russians also have this national culture of lying straight up in your face, and loudly and crazily, when they are obviously wrong -- I'm quite used to it. I understand the historical and cultural reasons for it. But I also don't tolerate it because it's bullshit. It's not fair to those Russians and Brazilians and many others who don't lie, cheat, steal and yell that they have been unfairly returned.

[13:17] Triskall Claremont: so you see, I work for my money.
[13:17] Triskall Claremont: Im french

LOL. For some people in SL, this line might have gotten an instant right-click/eject/expel or ban, but, alright, I know some French LOL.

I work for my money too, you know?

But wait. You said you were waiting for money to come at the end of the month -- sounds like welfare -- because you also said "trying to earn" -- sounds like freelance pay that is irregular. Well, which is it?

Odd.

[13:17] Prokofy Neva: my RL medicines cost hundreds of dollars too so please, stop with the sob story
[13:17] Prokofy Neva: 1000 is $3.74 US, the cost of a latte
[13:17] Triskall Claremont: I LIVE in Brazil. It's different.
[13:17] Prokofy Neva: if you do not have $3.74 it does not pay to be on SL spending money, use it on food in real life
[13:17] Triskall Claremont: I never asked you anything but to wait for my pay check.

Um, no. You asked me to short myself two weeks rent. That's not trivial.

And as I explained, the cost of living in Brazil is 44% or more LESS, but that still means that $3.75 is not some astronomical sum where you can't eat for a month as you truly might not be able to do in sub-Sahara Africa.

[13:18] Triskall Claremont: And I told you why. I didn't need it. I just thought it was the right thing to do

Well, wait. You said you can't buy 1000 Lindens or you don't eat. You said you still had to earn money. You said you had a paycheck coming in. It's a lot of conflicting statements. Maybe they do go together, but you know what? I don't care. You are giving off all kinds of warning signs that you cannot afford even a cheap rental and cannot reliably be expected to pay for it, and meanwhile you will also try telling heart-rending stories to prey on a landlord's sympathies.

No sale.

[13:18] Prokofy Neva: it doesn't matter where you are or what your story is, this is the cost, and I'm not hear to listen to sad stories as there are many far far worse than yours where th epeople pay more even, because we're talking about trivilian
[13:18] Triskall Claremont: I wasn't expecting you to be rude about it.
[13:18] Prokofy Neva: *trivial amounts
[13:18] Triskall Claremont: again? I only asked some days. NOT to reduce prices. No?
[13:19] Prokofy Neva: You're in the BDSM movement, and here's your notice: I do not play BDSM and condem it. Don't use it on me, as I'm not playing. My rentals are open to the public for anyone of any belief or practice or nationality to rent. But n ot with fake stories, lies, special requests, late rents and all matter of bullshit

A number of the lines here first in the first round, then in the second round, seemed to be the typical gas-lighting and muddle and manipulation of BDSM, but the reason I said this was because, you know, I looked at his profile. He's gay -- but that doesn't matter, that's no marker for BDSM or anything at all. 

But he has a list of his RP limits -- that usually is a marker. He has all kinds of other rules and explanations and stuff -- that's a marker in my long experience. Pages and pages of it. If he's not BDSM, he sounds like it surely. 

If it turns out I'm wrong and prejudicial to this poor French man suffering from cancer in Brazil and having to work for the meager salary of a translator who is really just here to have beautiful and meaningful virtual experiences, ok, shoot me. That's fine.

[13:19] Triskall Claremont: Uh??
[13:19] Triskall Claremont: I ABHORR BDSM... where this idea come from???
[13:19] Prokofy Neva: your profile? your RP stuff? Hello?
[13:19] Triskall Claremont: Hey not all RP is BDSM ;P
[13:19] Prokofy Neva: um yeah I know
[13:20] Prokofy Neva: I've been in SL for 15 years with literally tens of thousands of customers?
[13:20] Prokofy Neva: hello
[13:20] Triskall Claremont: daFUQ. i rp A MUSICIAN ON AN URBAN SIM!

Well, um, ok. But most of the profile is about all kinds of RP stuff? Go and look shrugs at all his picks.

♂⚣ 𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒆. 𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒂𝒍. 𝑨𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕. 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕. ♎☯ ⛵ 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒐𝒔: see PICKS for contact & Info. ⛵ 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒆-𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓: see PICKS for sims I RP at & character ...

 

[13:20] Triskall Claremont: Ops
[13:20] Prokofy Neva: and the halmark of BDSM is to claim they are never properly understood
[13:20] Triskall Claremont: I dont like it. Period.
[13:21] Triskall Claremont: I dont like BDSM, hell, I am so vanilla I have a hard time RPing
[13:21] Prokofy Neva: people who have to put lists of what they like or not like or their limits are usually always BDSM
[13:21] Prokofy Neva: if you aren't, guess what, I DON'T CARE
[13:21] Prokofy Neva: IT DOESN'T MATTER
[13:21] Prokofy Neva: what I'm here to explain and I won't repeat it is that I don't RP with you, you don't try to manipulate me with your RP bullshit
[13:22] Triskall Claremont: eregardless. why are you even having this conversation with me? Bad day?? All I asked was a little TIME, and I told you WHY. It was not to have your pity or charity. I justified, even if I didn't have to, because it seems ETHICAL. If you only met bastards in your 15 years of SL which you can't brag at me because I joined in July of 2003, I am really sorry for you. I'm just an honest guy.

Um, wait up here.

It's not ethical to ask for someone to forego two weeks payment of rent because of your own personal problems.

It's not ethical to then tell pity-party stories to try to shore up their charitable instincts.

It's manipulative.

It's not ethical.

It's bullshit.

People like this are so out of touch with how they sound and how their true nature reveals itself, they are so wrapped up in their lies and their sense of themselves as victims, that it becomes impenetrable and impossible. So I don't deal with it. Move along. SL is a big place.

[13:22] Prokofy Neva: so this conversation has gone on way longer than it should, I am not holding this parcel, especially as I have even more reason not to expect rent on time, so it's going back on the market. If it is here on Nov 30, rent it, and do your thing. If you are late, you are expelled. Goodbye
[13:24] Triskall Claremont: yea no shit. Why Id rent anything from someone so biased all they think of people is that everyone is a liar. I am really sorry for you. I hope you have success with your business, but while I WILL have money at the end of the month. I am sorry for you... you're hjust a poor, bitter, person.

Well, um, no. I'm not biased to think everyone is a liar.

I'm biased to think people who tell me they are waiting for money, yet earn it; no, they can't buy 1000 Lindens because they can't eat for a month (although that country's food basket is that per day not month); no, they have to earn it; well, they had chemo and had to pay for it AND who ask me to HOLD A RENTAL UNPAID FOR TWO WEEKS are likely trying to manipulate me; are likely not telling the truth of the situation.

If they are, they are out of touch with not only their own reality, but reality in general.

And no, I'm not bitter. I'm just sanguine about Brazilians, Russians, Russians in America, French in Brazil, or whatever the configuration in any country or no country, when they send up red flags about how they can't pay, how they want you to take a hit and help them; how they are "self-sufficient" but buying 1000 Lindens for $3.75, even though it is Brazil, represents "not eating for a month" when even in poor Brazil, you need that much to eat one day poorly, not a month (in the US, especially in New York, it will be three times or more that amount).

In SL, there is no free press, no independent judiciary, no elected government. There is the authoritarian company and its company store, but out on the frontier, there is only frontier justice. And so the only way you can address these situations is having rules applied to everyone, and if you have to suspend them, explain why (or it's not fair to others) and be absolutely frank if not even harsh about your limits for bullshit.

Don't like? Refund is always an option.

 

Lindens vs. Land Barons

 

A forums poster named Beth MacBain put up such a treasure of a typically inane prejudice against land-barons and typically skewed Linden fan adoration, that I just have to share:

I can only speak for myself, but as an oldbie I like Bellisseria because it isn't a ghost town. After I moved in, I let my other rentals go because I enjoyed Bellisseria so much, and I still do several months later. I did rent a tiny little parcel a couple of weeks ago to put a quiet skybox in just for those times when Bellisseria is too busy for me, but I don't see myself getting another large empty plot in a vast wasteland of other large empty plots and siphon the money I pay LL through a land baron. I quite like paying it directly to the Lindens and I think they are learning some really fabulous lessons from the success of Bellisseria.

With @Ebbe Linden's dedication to diversifying revenue streams and hopefully making LL less dependent on the land barons, I'm looking forward to seeing more variety in the Linden Home environment. Larger parcels with higher Li, but with the same quality landscaping, attention to detail, and homes, and all owned directly by LL. Diverse themes to appeal to a wider variety of people and creatures. An adult continent. Two adult continents, actually. One for people who want more adult themes, but not necessarily sexual (where child avatars could still be allowed) and one for people who do want a sexually open environment (where child avatars are absolutely forbidden, please). I have a big wish list of things I'd love see see LL implement and profit off of rather than land barons who don't really do much for the greater community of SL other than buy and sell land. 

I know SL was born on the concept of user-created content, and I love the amazingly talented people who make the things I buy, but LL has some wonderfully talented employees and contractors as well and I'm pretty cool with buying directly from them when possible. It might make creators up their own games a bit, and some of them who've gotten lazy because everyone buys whatever they release need that kick in the pants. Before Bellisseria, I never once considered the thought of having more than one premium account. Now, with the trailers and upcoming new themes, I know I'll be upgrading at least one alt, and possibly more. 

It would be awesome, though, to not have to use alts. Give me a premium level that would allow me to rent multiple LHs once they're all built out and I'd be happy as a clam and utterly delighted to have my landlords be Lindens instead of someone I don't know or trust. I also think it would help with new user retention and increasing premium memberships, and I would make certain to feature them in the new user experience that we all know needs some serious work. 

I also think Bellisseria residents are also absolutely loving having more interaction with Moles and Lindens. Even though the interaction has quieted down a bit with the angst strewn upon them for not building cookie-cutter homes, they are still around and it's fabulous. Hopefully once the fussy people get homes (or get homes they're satisfied with) @Patch Linden and the gang will start coming out to play again and that sort of fun with the much loved Lindens and Moles can't be offered by anyone other than LL. 

TL:DR version - If LL starts pulling in more money from individuals, and some land barons start losing money and bail... shrugs.

 

My answer:

This is a good post to bookmark as a very good example of the wild prejudice against "land barons" in Second Life, who make it possible for Second Life to exist beyond a VC's whim. 

Since it follows my comment, it is directed at me, but I have to chuckle, as my land holdings are tiny compared to actual "land barons" and I am not a land baron, running a small Mainland rentals business and supporting the SL Public Land Preserve. 

Look at Tyche Shepherd's reports which are instructive about a lot of things. I believe there are about 25,000 islands; of these, about 5,000 are Mainland, and a good chunk of those are owned by the Lindens directly i.e. not sublet, if you will, to those "direct" owners that you glorify in your post and imagine are helping the Lindens become "weaned" from land barons. We don't know how many premium accounts there are -- at their hey-day in 2007-2008, when the Lindens still helpfully posted economic information, there were about 100,000. There might be that may or more today but given how many islands have been lost and Mainland abandoned since then, more than 10 years ago, it's just very hard to say. I would think it's likely, if not for the fact of so many alts. 

Ebbe Linden is no different than his predecessors in wanting "diversity" of revenue streams. I think it's safe to say that today, with the expenses of pets, mesh avatars, fashion, gatchas, etc. that spending on these consumer goods outpaces rent or tier for many avatars and that means likely the economy inworld for residents is no longer made up of mainland land sales and rentals as it did in the first decade of SL's life or island rentals inworld as it has in the early part of the second decade. Think about what you spend on your premium account (let's use the figure of $11.99 or about 3200 Lindens although this cost varies) or a rental (let's say a 4096, which might be $4,300 Lindens a month)  , then think of your purchases of furniture, fashion, pets and their food, vehicles, etc. and I think you'll agree that more is spent on mesh body parts, clothing and accessories, pets, etc. than housing. It's hard to tell what the average "consumer basket" is in SL because we just don't have economic figures. But going by what I see hundreds of my tenants buying (and most of their rentals are more like $150-$350 range per week), housing is not their chief SL expense.

But for the Lindens, there is no way they can "wean themselves from land barons" simply because it's the core of their revenue. So your allergy to what you imagine is the land baron "aesthetic" and your stereotype of Monoply-style moneybags characters, they are what make LL possible to exist. The Lindens can only tax a sale of currency or a purchase on the Marketplace -- they may have ambitions to tax more, but it won't reach a figure higher than the sale of even cheaper sims over the years. The premium accounts, whether 100,000 or even double that by now cannot hope to make up the core of their revenue even added to their "taxes". Sims generate from $175 for a grandfathered private island to $229 for the newer islands and $109 for the homesteads, which require island ownership.

That means even if you take just the lower figure of $175 -- which you wouldn't, because grandfathered are in a minority -- you'd see revenue of $3.5 million from tier *per month* or $42 million *per year* -- and that's what Crunchbase says their revenue is currently -- while once it was $75 million, they've been losing a million a year in the last ten years, according to NWN, who put their revenue at $50 million in 2017 (read that article, based on Tyche Shepherd's reports of declining island ownership and increased abandoned land, to see how this figure was generated -- from tier). They couldn't get much more than a million from premiums even if everyone paid the full rate of $11.99 and didn't annualize them. It's doubtful they get more than a million from Marketplace sales although this is a hugely unknown figure (I'd be interested in guesses, but going by "items last purchased" which you can see as a ticker on the MP, I'm not seeing it. Right now, for example, I see "what customers are buying" is a dress for $250, hair for $350, dance system for $765, a skin for $1299 (BTW more evidence that those customers are likely paying for skins and clothes more than rent, because they don't just make one purchase of such items per year).

So the Lindens need to re-rent servers to exist, and that's what makes up their world. Whether they get it "directly" from end-users like yourself in the Linden homes, taken as an aggregate (a smaller percentage of their income) or "directly" from "land barons" (the bulk of their income), they need this to make and maintain a virtual world. Maybe some day the costs of the Lindens' vast server farm may be shifted to consumers, but not any time soon.

Now let's think of the actual human beings behind the title of "land baron". I'm a single parent of two living in low-income housing who has worked multiple jobs at the same time my whole life to support my family. My SL business is more in the category of "hobby" than anything else.

But having gotten to know some of the "land barons" over the years, whether the Chinese immigrant Anshe Chung (who might have been declared a "millionaire" on the cover of Business Week" a decade a go but who isn't in the "Fortune 500" by any stretch) or numerous other people, mainly from the US, Europe and Asia, who don't fit your imagined stereotype whatsoever. If you lifted the lid off SL and its anonymous avatars, you'd see more retired postal clerks in Columbus, Ohio shopping at Wal-marts or even working part-time there than you would see yacht owners on the Riveria -- there aren't any of those. Anshe incorporated in China years ago and invests in multiple worlds and I don't think she has a fraction of her one-time presence in SL despite the many people whose last name is "Chung" in SL now. From what I can tell, the honor of top landowners in SL belongs to completely other people, and has for a time, including at least one who left SL to start another world.

The average land baron has more of a chance of being a single black mother in Detroit, who has to spend more than 12 hours a day online waiting on her customers in person, than a middle-aged white geek in Silicon Valley who never logs in while his minions collect rent. The small business owners of SL -- that's what they are, small business owners, whether with popular content creations or land, are moms struggling with cancer or injured war veterans trying to stay ahead of the latest twist of policy on games. They are not Mark Zuckerberg. If you are a wealthy person, you wouldn't be spending your wealth on the curious niche of SL, where land businesses are risky, with potential for huge losses, very slim margins, and enormous amounts of sweat equity. It just isn't viable. If you have money to invest in something online, you would be wiser to invest in an app or a shopping site.

As for "LL has some wonderfully talented employees and contractors as well and I'm pretty cool with buying directly from them when possible" -- unless the Lindens have some secret businesses or alts I don't know about, the ONLY content you can "directly buy" from a Linden is a Linden home, although you could indirectly say you "bought the view" if you bought land on the Mainland beautified by a Mole-created road and some scenery. There isn't any content you can "buy from Lindens" except the Linden homes. And what I see is at least some business growing up around the Linden homes with furniture that fits their styles and sizes, add-ons, and so on.

So while I realize this is reality for you -- "I don't see myself getting another large empty plot in a vast wasteland of other large empty plots and siphon the money I pay LL through a land baron. I quite like paying it directly to the Lindens and I think they are learning some really fabulous lessons from the success of Bellisseria" -- it isn't for an enormous amount of other people in SL. The fact that the Linden Homes have oldbies in it who have NOT given up their island homes is hardly the only factor that lets us know that -- we are also able to open up the map and see where the green dots are. They continue to be on private islands, which are not the "vast wasteland" that you might see on some parts of Mainland. It would be interesting to know how many direct owners there are of islands versus land barons -- given that most of the large rental agencies seem to need at least 100 islands to generate even a modest income I should think "direct owners" of islands is still a smaller category of owners. And again, think of those rental agents -- there are hordes of people, some from third-world countries, some from the third-world like environments of the United States -- serving clients for long hours and minimal pay. And a certain percentage of people making the content purchased by this nation of island renters. The content creators of SL work incredibly hard at very labor-intensive businesses with little return and increasingly high costs to be viewed at events or in classifieds and aren't on the Fortune 500 list, either.

The Lindens do not view land barons as "siphoning off" their revenue -- what they pay IS their revenue.

There's always been this peculiar factor of Linden content (land next to Linden roads and builds or water being more valuable than other land) and now the Linden Homes (at least for some small percentage of users) being a draw, and along with that, the value of the Linden presence inworld for their fan base (which ranges from coders who come to their office meetings on the server to people who like to get into snowball fights with them). Hence, this statement: "Hopefully once the fussy people get homes (or get homes they're satisfied with) @Patch Linden and the gang will start coming out to play again and that sort of fun with the much loved Lindens and Moles can't be offered by anyone other than LL."

I'm trying to think of the last time I saw a Linden inworld. Maybe six months ago when a Linden actually teleported to a sim to try to get rid of this crazy prim that wouldn't delete? And before that...a year ago? More? It might actually be that my last substantive talk with a Linden was a few years ago at a tech show in NYC when Ebbe had a meet-up with residents. Let me suggest that the Lindens couldn't justify paying for full-time, benefited adults to come inworld and play with their customers, but maybe they can get some interns to do more of this?

If the "fabulous lessons" that the Lindens have learned from Bellisseria is that to reach their core user base -- mainly middle-aged low-income employed or retired women, and to a lesser extent, semi-employed young men in their 20s who often make up their partners -- that they need to provide the kind of intensive staff time that we associate with Club Med vacation line-dancing or assisted living complexes in Florida, they know they will be out of business. No online world platform wants to become a caretaker for residents. The Lindens may have ideological aversion to land ownership (that I know is a fact for many of them) or aesthetic aversion (which you share with many of them) but they know where their meal ticket is and who saves them time, talent, and treasure -- the land barons of SL.

XXX

Some additional comments:

Did you know there is a leaderboard for "most liked comments" on the forums?! I sure didn't! I could never aspire to it : )  But apparently Beth McBain is that leader, so I figure she must spend more time on the forums than inworld!

Did you know there was an annual Mole Day Party? Or two. The second is TODAY. 

If the regulars on the forum already produced more smarm than you could handle with their fierce adulation of all things Linden, we are about to see this increase tenfold with Bellisseria -- for those lucky enough to have bother to refresh their pages a zillion times to get a home (I seemingly accidently got a houseboat on an alt a few months ago, never went there (it's crowded, there were ban lines at first although I understand they're gone) and I couldn't even give it away to tenants (you can't rent the land as no commercial activity is allowed). So I abandoned it, and I will try to get a trailer when they come out.

So, learning about Mole Day from the forums -- it's today! -- I made my way to Bellisaria Fairgrounds, but the sim was full with 60 people. I then fell into the water at Glassy Something, then cammed into to see a lot of horses, lots of Linden fanboyz and fangirlz and a few Moles.

I saw Abner Mole, who is in charge of "security," however that is construed in Mole-land as distinct from other LL security, and wished him a happy day. I asked him what Moles ate, having a vague memory of "Mole Cola", an old freebie I still have in inventory.

"Worms, of course!" he said, and I promised to leave some out near the picnic tables and scenery in Grahica, where we have some motel court cabins. I love that simple Mole build there. It isn't even the latest mesh or anything, and you can't even sit at the tables (which I suppose is a good thing, as there are never any people to clutter the view!) but it has these wildflowers that are very nice and "make the scene" for me and convinced me to buy land there, even with a neighbour who keeps a half dozen avatars in the sky playing Tiny Empires 24/7. She has of course "made the view" originally which is why I can even have seaside rentals with only a smidgeon of waterfront -- I totally appreciate good neighbours, and I have her in several sims, and she once "rented the view" from me in order to make sure none of my tenants rented land next to her pretty rentals and thus lowered her value LOL. Love!

That conversation with Abner Mole, which consisted of like two sentences, was the longest conversation I've had with a Linden in years, other than the ones that come and re-set sims. I used to be a Linden fanboy myself, of sorts, going to all their office hours where we discussed topics like island prices and griefers but also more philosophical issues like copybotting and governance which were a vital interest of mine then, and still are to some extent. I was passionate once about trying to influence the direction of SL because I thought there were vital human rights issues at stake. But at some point I realized these issues had spread to the entire Internet -- SL was only a petri dish with them in concentrated form. I want to write a book about this. But several other books I want to write are ahead of it. I did publish a critical book about Edward Snowden you can find on Amazon. So I hope I will do it some day, although I have pressing RL projects now.

I have never warmed up to Patch Linden, even after he answered me on the forums about his double ears -- human and Neko, I guess.  And that's because he has never returned a single IM about anything, even a nice comment let alone a critical concern. I guess he doesn't view me as a customer -- I have barely visited the few Linden homes I owned, I never go to their Linden events in or around them, the games portals they have leave me utterly cold -- I have gone a few times and gotten utterly frustrated or bored -- and so other than visiting a sandbox every day, I don't really have any interaction with "Linden Land" in its pure form, other than, of course, the land I rent and re-rent from them, which is tiny compared to real land barons. Patch Linden is for "community," and I'm not in the "community" by choice, and so are a lot of others, whether they realize it or not. And that's ok. SL should be big enough to go your own way.

I almost never talk to Lindens except for re-setting a sim which is all done online in the help portal. Maybe that's the best way. I've always seem my life in SL as apart from them -- dependent on them, naturally, as they are the platform providers, but dependent on them in the way you might be on aging parents once you left home -- you visit a few times a year even if you call them more often...

That's not a good analogy -- maybe "RL landlord" is a better analogy -- I say hello to the owner of our buildings perhaps two or three times a year when they have community parties or I happen to see him on the plaza.

 

 

 

 

Wrongful Discrimination and Security Flaws Suit Brought Against Linden Lab

A graphic from the Lindens' blog, which quotes Maya Linden, in happier days.

Given that this thread may be locked or deleted, about these news stories (reminding one of past stories),  I'll just park this here for now:

This lawsuits bundles together at least three separate issues that may combine in the plaintiff's head as being the most effective way to litigate against LL, but which are separate. And it may be that any one or more of the three claims are false, but then others may be true. We do not have the facts but at this point there is enough press coverage that it is more than fine to discuss it -- you don't know what a crippling effect this could have on our world and it's important the Lindens/the media have the facts from our side, too. It's also important to remember that this woman did give a lot in this job, and has been hurt, at least from her perspective, and it isn't necessary to disparage her as a person or ruin her life just because some of her claims may not be proven at least in legal terms.

1. Discrimination against on grounds of race or religion. I should think the Lab would be the last place to look for discrimination, as they have had a fairly diverse staff over the years, although like all Silicon Valley geeks, they don't like religious belief (especially the Christian sort). My complaint about their staffing is that they recruit from the user base which I think is a terrible idea, but it's a specific set of skills and "culture" so they justify it. And there is less of this than there was but it's not totally gone. But they seem to be genuinely open to diversity so this claim may not "stand up in court".

2. As for privacy, all companies online face this issue -- look at what just happened to Capital One, and the hacker, who turned herself in, seems to be mentally ill and has zillions of files from 30 other companies. All hugely weird. And then there's Russia and China...

It's good that this role was conceived of "compliance" as it really should be another person/set of eyes on the existing security Lindens who are set in their ways. But staff at that level can only recommend, and shouldn't fume if they don't get what they want. Until Section 230 is changed, there isn't a whole lot the Lindens can do. They should welcome this change as it will actually relieve them of this sort of harassment suit.

I don't see anything wrong with Tilia in this regard. You have to give your Social Security number to get a bank account or a credit card -- why is it such a big deal to give it to a company from which you intend to make money, to whom you also gave a credit card? And it's not required to just purchase tokens with money, but convert those tokens into money. I see a lot of Europeans complaining about having to show a passport as they would for a job or a credit card. But if you are a creator selling things in SL, this *is* a job or a bank card! It's not a unicorn fairy land. I think that's what is jarring people. I myself am puzzled as to why, having once provided this when they went through their age verification panic years ago, why I need to do it again, and I am also finding when it gives me the message that I have to "do more," it "goes nowhere" and I can't get it to work, but I figure it's buggy and I will get it sorted.

As for the claim of no compartmentalization, this is speculative, and doesn't square with the experience I have had over the years dealing with Lindens and Moles. Every time I mention something I think is related to payment issues or my RL location or something in dealing with a support ticket, they say they can't see that information, they don't have access to it, and I believe they really don't. But as has been pointed out, there are logs that will likely come out in discovery, and I think this is a distraction.

3. Now for the claim of *****, this is something that has not been eradicated from SL. And this may be the only charge that sticks, even if this former Linden doesn't get any traction with her wrongful termination claim. Although here, too, she has to have the facts, or get them, and they may not be available. We have all seen these hideous Hentai ***** graphics on the events page which have been shoved into your face each time you open up search. I and others have AR'd this zillions of time; these are clearly children, and making a Japanese-style cartoon out of them doesn't fix that. But I was noticing the other day it's finally gone. It would disappear and come back again and again -- and now I see the timing may be related to this suit. I hope so. 

I don't think ***** is that common, even so, because most people do realize it is a crime in many countries and isn't just a cartoon and isn't just "nothing" you can use this awful euphemism with. Very rarely I do get child avatars who attempt to rent and have profiles filled with those "Daddy and Me" sort of groups and put adult furniture in their skybox -- so out they go in a jiffy with an AR to the Lab. I ban child avatars explicitly from a number of venues where they show up like camp sites, as do others who run sims. There is some static about this as "discrimination," but I find club owners and such hold the line on this because they don't want the problems associated with it. I have universally known the child avatars to be trouble for 15 years in SL, time and again, over and over, so I am absolutely immune to claims that they tend to be innocent. And any time I've given them the benefit of the doubt, if they didn't *****, they griefed or just made life for others miserable in other ways. It's a distressed persona that I personally want to avoid. YMMV but I don't care. The point is -- yes, LL is vulnerable here because of their ideological commitment to diversity, to which they think this extends.

Yes, I realize there are even quite famous child avatars in SL and on the forums who are innocent. But the pushing of the envelope on this goes on constantly and I think this is the most serious thing in this case for LL. The problem is that without Section 230 being revised (which I heartily advocate for many reasons), they won't feel any heat to change this, and they only can sample-police it with key words now and then and ban a "Lolita" club or respond to ARs. To me, their stubbornness about removing those really graphic images on the events was emblematic of the problem, however.

I hope the parties get through this. Nothing the plaintiff has changed is so systematic in SL, or based on actual malice or negligence on the part of the Lindens, and therefore it shouldn't get traction. If the facts can be found on some of the issues, even discrimination, LL has the means to change it. 

Rental Dementia: "Secondlife dead now"

So I log on to one of these inanities from one "Amy Blazer":

(Saved Mon Aug 12 17:08:38 2019)Hi, I would like to rent land. However, your prices too high. Secondlife dead now. I will pay you $10L permonth for land now. Okay? I expect fast answer please. No stalling

So this defiant little communist is actually one of those BDSM cult slaves:

Greetings, this girl’s name is Amy Blazer. This girl is a member of Toy Slaves and was 
collared as the Property of Madame Aprille Shepherd on December 30, 2014. This girl is protected and is undergoing training as an Escort for service in the Toy Slaves Brothel. If this girl misbehaves, please contact Madame Aprille Shepherd and/or Her Dominants with the details to see that she is properly punished.

If you were to send a complaint to "Madame Aprille" about her, you would likely find that both of them abuse-reported you for copying chat, or harassment, or some other contrived bullshit.

If SL is dead, why is she still here?

If land costs too much, can't she go over to Open Sim or Sine or whatever these other worlds are called? Or go on Facebook or something?

Why can't Madame get her a palace and dungeon? If she can't, maybe shop around for a new dominatrix?

She puts her "Escort Strip" on a piece of land for sale LOL.

/Block.

PS See? I wasn't wrong about this gang threatening you with ARs for embarassing them by posting their terrible threats. Whenever I am threatened, I do that. "This girl" contacted me FIRST. I had never heard of her. What on earth got into her that she thinks she can get land for 10 Lindens a month -- pennies??? That's ridiculous. Why single me out -- with some of the cheapest land on the Mainland for rent! -- with this idiocy?

And if "this girl" is a sub of a domme, why is she so aggressive? It doesn't make sense.

Bad behaviour needs to be exposed, it's our only recourse in SL.

Rental Dementia: "Why Did You Eject and Ban Me From My Home?"

So a few times I detected activity at a rentals that seemed to have traffic but wasn't paid but I didn't find any avatars or prims so I let it go.

But then I happened to see traffic again while right in the area so I went up to the skybox and low and behold there was some kind of furry or dragon trying on clothes with boxes strewn around.

I looked in the last three months for payments. I'm not going to eject a person who is overdue on payments even if past the grace period of 2 days, sometimes people are willing to make up the difference. 

But I discovered the last payments were in May, and the last expiration was...June 9.

So that's two months ago LOL. Maybe Darling Neelah didn't use her "home" often, but, well, she was using it now! 

So, ban, return prims, eject, Do Not Rent List.

 

[15:15] Neelah Xue: Why did you eject and ban me from my home?
[15:15] Prokofy Neva: Your home? You haven't paid any rent
[15:15] Neelah Xue: I got no notice about it.
[15:16] Prokofy Neva: Oh for fuck's sake
[15:16] Neelah Xue: What the hell is your deal, autist?
[15:16] Prokofy Neva: the rental boxes give out six notices and you have an unpaid rental box at your door, goodbye
[15:16] Prokofy Neva: Squatter
[15:16] Neelah Xue: The Resident you messaged has blocked you from sending them any messages.

 

This idea that you "don't get any notices" or "messages cap" is for the birds. That's because the rental box automatically sends out 8 messages actually. You might miss some, but all? And after the grace period is over (the rental box converts to a red box with a sign), then before returning prims I always IM the person, maybe they will pay up. Often they do.

Then I might give them another day or two. But honestly, beyond that, to expect more "notices" and stay in a place two months is pretty absurd.

PS I'm not "autist" or "autistic" for thinking so and acting on this principle.

I've seen this avatar float around several rentals but -- no more!

 

The Forgotten War

Rental Dementia: "You Have to Be a Lonely Man With No Life"

So, here's my last post on this creep, and then they don't get any more attention from me. Why am I even still getting messages from them inworld when they are blocked?

A reminder that this person did indeed have four alts and abused a rental limited to one per person.

This is easily determined when they not only all pay at the same time, but have similar profiles and groups. In fact, you can see that two of them still have the same story on them about "lost parents". They are a psychopath. This person writing to me is likely another alt.

 

gooooooood morning cat man
[07:39] PazzoPazzo: another fine day for you to accuse someone of something they didn't do and get attention from the world
[07:39] PazzoPazzo: good luck to you
[07:40] PazzoPazzo: don't forget to give your middle cats some attention, people like to concentrate on their first one and last one
[07:46] PazzoPazzo: dont forget
[07:46] PazzoPazzo: its ok to love your animals, just dont loooooove your animals. You know what I mean ?
[07:47] PazzoPazzo: you have to be a lonely man with no life and I'm sure you have alts that have sex with both male and female.
[07:49] PazzoPazzo: One thing I am very good at is finding alts. I am a speech pathologist and I am pretty good and finding out who is who just by comparing text. Don't worry cat man. I will find out all about you. Maybe I will start a Prokofy Blog. You got way more to loose than I do. All I need is a text from each of those alts you were talking about.
[07:49] PazzoPazzo: I will figure out who they are. In fact my computer will do it for me.
[09:23] PazzoPazzo: I think it is amazing how you know you messed up and instead of just deleting what you said you continue on with the lie and add more to your blog when you know it makes things worse.
[09:23] PazzoPazzo: I want to keep studying you and maybe write a paper on your actions.
[09:23] PazzoPazzo: It is fascinating.
[09:24] PazzoPazzo: I really can't wait so see what you decide to post. You will pick and choose what you post. You won't post anything negative about yourself.
[09:25] PazzoPazzo: You are hiding who you really are from other people and posting things that make you look good.
[09:25] PazzoPazzo: Am I making this up ?
[09:25] PazzoPazzo: Look at it, Examine yourself and you will see I am right.
[09:26] PazzoPazzo: you punished a person who didn't deserve it. We had every right to be angry at you but you keep condemning us trying to make people belief we were the once who hurt you.
[09:27] PazzoPazzo: you really should get some help.
[09:28] PazzoPazzo: We never posted anything on the blog to hurt you publicly. Remember that. Buy you want us to hurt because we know something about you that you didn't want anyone else to know.
[09:29] PazzoPazzo: We are good people and all you got to do is delete what you wrote and we will go away. We are not here to hurt you. In fact if I caused you to look at yourself and somehow made you better than I will be happy about it.
[09:30] PazzoPazzo: No matter what I need everything about Lexdysia off of the blog. I will make it happen even if we have to meet publicly.
[09:30] PazzoPazzo: I just want to see how far you take this.

Some fun facts:

o I don't have any cats. 

o I don't have any alts that aren't visible and unknown, holding my groups, and obviously related to me because they have those groups.

o The day-old accounts pretending to be employees or "bots" aren't related to me at all, and the Lindens remove them after abuse reports as obvious griefers.

o Kicking four avatars who are all alts of one person out of a $50/week rental isn't "hurting" anyone. It's a virtual world in which there are a zillion rental. People who threaten me get documented and publicized. If they persist, they continue to get documented and publicized. 

o Nothing about Lexdysia is going to be removed from this blog, so that people in SL can see that they are dealing with a psychopath. When people use alts to deceive and harass, they are publicized, that's all there is to it.

And frankly, they don't need me to claim that, as anyone who threatens to stalk you and ruin your business, force you to "meet in RL," and remove something about an anonymous avatar from a blog are obviously psychopaths.

o This person or "Lexdysia" herself (likely they are the same person) have contacted some of my tenants, trying to get them involved in ARing me. They ignore this, or they contact me and once they see what it's about, they don't do any ARs.

o If anyone does send ARs, they will have no impact as the Lindens don't attempt to control blogs outside of SL. We're stuck with a system that enables anyone to endlessly make anonymous accounts and defraud or deceive others, and there is no way around this except publicity outside of SL. The end!

Meanwhile, I think with the title of this blog we've discovered the ultimate secret to this nest of female alts -- it doesn't apply to me obviously as I'm a known quantity. Fear of being outed as a male with female alts evidently is driving this psychopathy -- it's quite common in SL and not for the first time. But I do have to point out that I have no way of knowing who the real person in RL is driving this nest of alts -- and I don't care.

BTW, by sending lists of alts around that this person claims are not her/him, in fact they are themselves violating the TOS, and violating the privacy of people they claim are separate people (!). Interestingly, none of those "other people" have contacted me. Because...indeed they are alts! My advice: let it go! Find a new rental, and get a life.