linden lab

  • I Spent $500 USD on Snow Land Just to Get Extorted

    Summer Days

    This “currently crashing out” print on the Honey Cropped Tank from The Kiwi Co. feels a little too relatable right now, because mainland has been testing me lately.

    When I first went Premium back in 2019 to get a Linden Home, it was also the first time I could finally own mainland. I eventually bought a snowy parcel that I absolutely loved and kept it from 2022 onward. It was extremely landlocked and surrounded on three sides by massive ugly ice walls from neighboring parcels, but somehow I still made it work because I liked the region.

    Recently, several abandoned coastal parcels nearby became available after a former neighbor left. I submitted support tickets hoping to expand naturally into the coastline, but instead the parcels were sent individually to auction. I managed to buy some of them, but after getting outbid on the final piece, I realized I was done fighting with the region. The walls finally won.

    I still wanted snow land though, so I moved a couple regions over and spent a pretty significant amount acquiring new coastal land through auctions and direct purchase from a land baron. In total, it probably cost around $500 USD worth of Lindens, but I was excited to finally own a beautiful coastal snow parcel.

    Then I discovered a 32m micro parcel sitting directly in the middle of my new land.

    The owner had no other land in the region and was asking L$32,000 for it.

    That isn’t normal land use. It’s extortion.

    I submitted another support ticket hoping Linden Lab would step in, especially since Second Life already has a policy against land cutting practices. Unfortunately, my request was denied, and no discretion was used to resolve what is very obviously a bad-faith micro parcel situation. That part is what disappoints me the most.

    As someone still relatively new to mainland ownership, I’m starting to understand why so many residents say mainland can be incredibly frustrating. One bad neighbor or one strategically placed micro parcel can completely ruin an otherwise beautiful area.

    And if anyone is wondering how my planned move from Gaeta 1 to New Zindra is going, it isn’t. I bought Gaeta 1 land back on April 15, but after realizing I’d likely be at the very end of the migration queue, I decided to put everything up for sale instead. At this point, I’d rather just settle into my snow land and enjoy it in peace.

    If you care about improving mainland and reducing predatory land practices, please vote to End Micro Parcel Extortion: https://feedback.secondlife.com/ldpw/p/end-micro-parcel-extortion

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    Linden Lab Cracks Down on Content Theft and Focuses on Resident Growth

    JuicyBomb - Heart Sunset EEP Settings

    I attended today’s Zoom meeting between Linden Lab and content creators/bloggers. The focus was on content theft in Second Life, and I will not bore you with all the details. You can read a recap of the meeting by Salt Peppermint. It appears that Linden Lab will soon revise their Terms of Service to include harsher penalties for any resident caught stealing content. Such penalties may include banning the offending account and all associated alt accounts, removing all their content from the grid, and potentially pursuing legal action.

    Some of the meeting was dedicated to marketing. If any content creators wish to collaborate with Linden Lab by offering perks to residents, they should reach out. If you have an idea that could attract new residents to Second Life or help retain them once they join, Linden Lab is eager to hear about it. They mentioned that MadPea had approached them, but did not disclose whether they are compensating MadPea for providing their games for free to residents or if exposure is considered sufficient payment.

    Regarding other marketing plans, Linden Lab is still assessing the return on investment for their marketing initiatives. They want to ensure that their spending to attract new residents brings in the right demographic—the residents who are willing to spend money. I believe Brad Oberwager (Executive Chairman of Linden Lab) referred to them as “monetarily valuable” residents. Essentially, Second Life aims to attract individuals who join, purchase premium memberships, acquire land, buy items, and continue this cycle. When I first joined the game, I was intrigued by the potential to earn money, but I quickly discovered that my true passion lay in dressing up my pixel doll. I believe the demographic that Second Life wants to target includes young, tech-savvy individuals who enjoy cozy dress-up games. While Second Life can be challenging, it is not difficult for those who learn quickly.

    I left this meeting with the impression that Second Life creators have many ideas—such as a creator verification program—which could make the platform unwelcoming to new content creators or those who wish to create as a hobby rather than as a business. The beauty of Second Life is that anyone can create and sell anything, and implementing a verification system (like a gold star) could divide the community between verified and unverified creators.

    I look forward to attending future Linden meetings and listening to fellow residents express their ideas and concerns. I believe Linden Lab faces a challenging road ahead, as marketing this game and achieving growth are not metrics that can be measured instantly.

    If you are reading this blog post and are not yet playing Second Life, I encourage you to come and check it out! You can earn money here, and you can also be anything you wish to be.

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    Coastal Boating Community

    Houseboat // Bellisseria

    They say you can never go home again, except in Second Life, where you can! In late 2019, I had a houseboat for a short time before moving on to another shiny new theme. On a whim three years later, I rolled the same houseboat again! This time, instead of the Eveningstar, I chose a different model, the Wallower.

    My feelings about houseboats have largely remained consistent over the last three years — they were one of my least favorite themes. I don’t have a houseboat very often because I don’t like the colors or the crowded feeling. But every now and then, I come across a location that I find so appealing that I end up staying for a while. This is true of my current houseboat.

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    You can choose your Linden Home?!

    You can choose your Linden Home?!

    Have you ever wished that you could select your Linden Home? Many people have asked me how I was able to select my stilt home using the Premium Plus choose your Linden Home concierge service, so I’m here to show you exactly how to do it.

    Is your dream home available?

    Before you upgrade your account to Premium Plus in order to use this service, make sure you map Bellisseria and create SLurls to available homes. Keep in mind that popular Bellisseria themes are frequently sold out and the homes are instantly available on the Land Page, you won’t be able to file tickets for those homes with any success. Newly released themes are more abundant, so you will have much better luck filing a ticket for a home.

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    JuicyBomb – Right Water EEP Settings

    JuicyBomb - Right Water EEP Settings

    Have you ever wanted to reverse the flow of Linden water? How about rotating the water entirely, so that instead of ugly vertical or “sideways” water, you can have nice horizontal waves flowing in and out on your shores. I’ve been playing with this since the summer, and finally, I have something that looks pleasing and it works great with my EEP settings!

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    Isle of View

    Isle of View

    Hello from the Isle of View! I really like that this event is opened to ALL Second Life residents, and not limited to premium members only. There are gifts, rides, and events planned for Valentine’s Day. I would like to Hug-A-Linden, but I’ll be at work during those hours. Boo! 🙁

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    Hello Kitty Village; Astralia x Sanrio

    Hello Kitty Village

    I went Hello Kitty Village last night, to see my childhood favorites interpreted digitally. The 4 regions are stamped with Hello Kitty everywhere, free rides if you can bear the lag, and a few shopping items made by Astralia, in collaboration a brand in real life called JimmyPaul. You can read all about the event on the AstraliaWorld site.

    Some time ago, Astralia received licensing rights from Sanrio to sell Second Life content (decor, clothing) with Sanrio characters on them, with the most recognizable character being Hello Kitty. Brands in real life have cashed in on the appeal of Hello Kitty & friends for decades, so it wasn’t a surprise to see it eventually make its way into the virtual world.

    Hello Kitty Village

    The Astralia x Hello Kitty 45th anniversary event runs from November 1st – November 15th. This theme-park like event is packed with rides, photo-op places, and some clothing & decor by Astralia. You can pay the event $799L for a souvenir picture, or you can be like me and take your own selfie! I saved money by buying nothing at this event, which wasn’t hard, since I don’t like plastic kiddy colors.

    Hello Kitty Village
    Tip: You can get a free balloon by clicking the giant gift box in the VIP area.

    What I’m Wearing:

    • Exile – Blur the Line
    • Empire – Letter Necklace
    • Ingenue – Holly Flats (Blush)
    • Ricielli – Leah Sweater, Shorts
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    A view

    A view

    Hello from my mainland beach! Since I sold my sim, I have been looking for a small slice of waterfront beach. As you know, most mainland waterfront beach parcels are overpriced, costing HUNDREDS of dollars. I consider mainland a risky investment, cos at any moment, a neighbor could rez a giant rock wall or other annoying decors and ruin everything.

    I’m so happy a friend I met recently on mainland gave me this parcel, cos he just bought a full sim. I have one side that is unblockable watefront, and the other sides are kind of horrible. I will just look out, and never look back. I love FREE LAND!

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