Rental Dementia: Garth Lannock Camping on the Boardwalk

So this guy named Garth Lannock who I had never heard of before rents a little stall on the board walk.

Somehow I didn't see his payment come in but the next day I noticed a 1500 traffic on this board walk, which is way higher than it ever is, even being across from a newbie infohub and being a rentals area where a fair number people do walk around and shop -- and there's one guy who even uses it as his regular inworld landing area. It's all good. Who could mind traffic? But odd traffic patterns are clues to squatters or trouble like littering so I went to investigate. I've had squatters here before -- 800 prims up in the sky above Prok's Seafood -- like I'm not going to notice.

The landing there at Coney Island of the Mind as I call it actually takes you to another guy's stall that I have made a little square for so he can have an ad and be in search -- he is a long-time tenant, both for residential and commercial and I did that for him. 

I look around and see the new guy's stall. At first I couldn't tell what he was selling (the first time I saw it, it wasn't as finished as it was here), but it looked interesting -- a kind of portal board where you could click and TP to various venues. I thought at first it was a rental business. This doesn't bother me, anyone who rents a stall can put anything in it to sell, including rentals, if it doesn't violate the TOS or block the boardwalk.

See what I mean? It's well done. I have portal boards, but this one is like a calendar and better done.

I noticed then that the little stall had a big armchair and the guy himself was sitting in it (I took the picture later, when I came back and found him standing near it). Thinking maybe he was still setting up his product vendor, I said something in chat then realized he was AFK. Then I realized the traffic was likely from him, although 1500 is not possible from one avatar -- but maybe he was TPing alts or friends. 

This is annoying first of all because it's stupid. You don't sell a product from traffic, especially artificially-created traffic. Traffic doesn't make sales; only sales make sales. I say this to all my tenants. I offer cheap rentals ($35/38 prims)-- they need to make or do something to get sales that doesn't involve traffic gimmicks which I don't allow -- no shouters, fishing, lucky chairs, bots, etc. etc.

I especially don't like bots or camping because they take up slots on the sim that other people need -- rentals and visitors. Once you get up over 20 on these sims, they lag. And again -- why? It's stupid.

So I IM him that bots and camping are not allowed, and that refunding is always an option. He doesn't reply -- that day or the next. I then come back there again, seeing the traffic is still high the next day. I see him still sitting in the chair. I study the thing more closely. I see he's a performer advertising a TP board that takes you to performances. That seems like a great idea, and I'm happy to have it on the board walk because people will actually use it. It doesn't seem that the thing itself is for sale -- although it could be and make money -- it's more about the entree to the various concerts. It all seems good -- but I don't want him sitting here camping. And honestly, if he is a performer, WHY IS HE DOING SUCH A DUMB THING? 

I IM him again. He doesn't answer again.

 

[07:48] Prokofy Neva: Since you're not paying attention to my messages, I'll try eject and ban. I don't allow camping or bots on my land to drive up traffic. It's not how sales are made and doesn't do anything for you. This is a cheap rental to enable people to have a business without high costs, but you have to make a desirable product and advertise it in other ways to get sales. Refund is always an option if you don't like that rule. If I don't hear back from you I will refund you and return your items.
[07:48] User not online - message will be stored and delivered later.
[07:50] Prokofy Neva: The performance teleporter is a great thing and I'm happy to have it here but not camping where you park your avatar here day and night as I keep finding you
[07:50]

I come back later, and this time he's standing nearby, so he isn't a bot, likely, plus the thing shows definitely a board to IM him -- he's a performer, not a bot. I try IMing him by clicking on the thing, and it doesn't instantly work; finally I IM him and say camping isn't allowed. No answer.

So finally I eject him without banning -- maybe that will get his attention? It doesn't. After awhile I eject him again -- still no attention. He's there camping. Why? I shouldn't have to write "no camping or bots" on these info cards because it's long since banned by LL itself. It's crept back in, however.

So, after a few hours -- kaching! He refunds without comment. Stupid. He could have had customers coming to his venues just because they'd walk along and come. The traffic on MY LAND with a generic ad for the boardwalk doesn't mention him, and doesn't help him, and the landing area isn't even near his portal, but he hasn't grasped that, and is camping to drive up traffic. Maybe something showing up with "board walk" and "Coney Island" but not his name or "venues" or "concerts" might bring in shoppers, and they might notice his board -- or might not.  For even $50 a week, he could make himself a search/places ad that said whatever he needed it to say that would be found by search, not traffic points.

Here's his profile:

Biography

I'm a Dutch musician, I do what i like the most, playing guitar and sing. 
I sing with professional studio backing tracks and sometimes, i take my guitar to play some songs. 
If you like to book me im Marianv1960 Blister, or send me an im or an E-mail to [email protected] 
https://www.youtube.com/garthlannock 
Sometimes when i practice, i feel like him, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vms_6_TSQuc

Here's one of his shows on YouTube -- in SL.

Well, ok. I didn't understand why on EuroVision, the Dutch went with an American-style C&W act, or why this guy is singing Saturday Night Fever in a Dutch accent with a black guy in an Afro dancing in front of him, but it's Second Life, it's all good. Here he is in the Love Boat. Look, you might enjoy a Garth concert, give it a try. See at about 3:20:

It's super sad -- those other avatars swaying on the poseballs so they can all sync-dance, the rainbow -- it's very poignant:

It's too bad Garth couldn't have stayed on our boardwalk. He'd be a nice addition if he didn't sit there all day in the chair trying to drive up traffic. Here he is in RL.

OK, dude, but don't be fucking stubborn. Be smart. Traffic does not lead to your desired result. Search ads do. Play your guitar at concerts, don't sit in a chair AFK on a boardwalk trying to drive up traffic.

PPS Here's his unsubscribe in his picks

Unsubscribe

RAVENGLASS RENTALS CONEY ISLAND OF THE MIND , Baileya (108.351,66.1374,21.8659)

Do you have that sometimes? you click on a subscribe board and the messages you get makes you crazy. 
You can always unsubscribe from my group, HOW?, come to my house and unsubscribe from my board, or im me, i'll unsubscribe you :-) thats easy hey, :-)

Hope he figures out to delete that!

 

 God is great, beer is good and people are crazy!

 

Comments

[Garth Lannock]

Jesus, what a long story over 1 little stall :-((. He doesnt answer because Garth Lannock Live, is not Garth Lannock, he is a bot who sends advertising when Garth has to sing. Next time, take a better look :-)
And why should i delete the unsubscribe in my pictures. It does what it says, go to that lm and you can undelete yourself from that subscribe list.

kind regards,
Garth Lannock.