For a long time, the Message Of ToDay has advertised for premium membership and Linden Homes. Suddenly, there is a change: Linden Lab actually recommends their major customers (estate owners) instead of their own underbidding offers.
If this is a management decision made by the new (old :-) ) powers that be in the lab, its a small but noteworthy step in the right direction. Because the one thing that keep people in SL more than any other factor is when they get involved in a community. And most successful communities are buildt around dedicated estate owners (like Sierra Anansi in Winterfell). They add the value needed for the SL product to be a success.
Think of SL as a tree: The roots are the technology, the trunk is the products that LL makes money on: Island rental, mainland tier, etc. But a beautiful tree needs lots of branches of various size and form, to support bird nests, tree houses and autumn leaves. In the periods of growth, these where provided by us, the residents.
Then the lab tried to make branches of its own: Bay City, Nautilus, Linden Homes. To a variety of degrees, these are new products that underbids competitors, because they are sold to end-users at tier levels lower than what estate owners are offered. But as all other LL mainland, they lack the day-to-day care of the land that only estate owners can provide.
When the lab starts to compete with their own major customers, forcing people out of the marked, they are essentially sawing off the branches they are sitting on, because an SL with just mainland would soon be deserted.
So, Philip, a small cheer from me for this move!
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