Riches to Rags?

One of the points arising from the Roadmap yesterday was the (long awaited by some) announcement that the intention is for landowners to get more control over avatars and scripts running on their property to reduce lag.

The problem is that some resizing scripts, and the heavy avatar rendering cost of some outfits causes lag when more than a few avis are collected together on a sim.

Now, no-one is going to object to poor scripts (whatever that means) being overhauled or disabled for the General Good in the ongoing Lag Wars. Avatar rendering costs is a touchier subject...

I had probably been in SL for two years before I had any idea of what ARC (lazy typist) are/is... and, luckily I have always liked simple clothes with the exception of a few outrageous hairstyles and a couple of belts. So, I don't imagine I will be getting thrown off too many sims in the future for overdressing...however...

Some people don't build, don't own land, and their principle creative outlet is their avatar. These people are a real boon for SL, making the most mundane build into a theatrical event, stepping centre-stage and, like glorious peacocks, strutting their stuff, AO's working full out to impress. I love em.

Now, dressing down is not something that will be welcomed by these people, nor will it be easily understood by newbies. It will be difficult enough steering a path through PG, Adult, Mature sims, without then subdividing these again into Low, Medium and High ARC sims. Presumably each landowner having his or her own idea of what is 'reasonable use' of prims.

One persons Prim Hog is another's Fashionista.

I foresee chaos... and baldness.

In almost every walk of digital and RL life I am being encouraged to consume more. More RAM in my computer, more storage on Flickr, more calls on my mobile...etc... but LL will be going against this trend, advocating less prims per person in some cases....

Can't I get MORE server space for my buck over time??

LL will, of course, survive this future flurry of furious fashionistas as it will the justifiable anger of heart-broken teens who will be separated from their friends through an arbitrary age divide when they close the Teen Grid.... but...

...the list of Pissed Off Minorities grows.

It is in the nature of mass provision that the fringe groups get neglected as the Mass becomes a sort of dictator. The fringes are sacrificed so the Mass can grow. That doesn't however make it all right. The end never justifies the means, because it is morally indefensible to treat one person badly, let alone a whole batch of under 16's (for example).

It's a well known saying "be careful who you tread on, on the way up..."

I don't have an immediate solution to a number of these issues that I throw back at the Boys, and it may be that I should stop moaning, but, as there is a lack of any real platform to discuss these Edicts, this is the only way I can try and get these things discussed... to voice a counter thought, to question the accepted 'view'.

It just seems to me that a more 'inclusive' philosophy would be more beneficial in the long run, rather than a growing list of "Thou shalt not..."

"Your World, Your Imagination" is becoming "Our World, Our Rules"...and that is not an encouraging path to walk down....

:))