Sunday 22 May 2011

Well Done Lindens, except for the sandbox.

Well, it's not often I personally feel that I can congratulate a step taken by the Boys, because most of them are crap, however, the new international 24 hour billing support, although limited in cover is a real step forward and one they should be patted on the head for.

Toll-Free (US/Canada): 800.294.1067
Long-Distance (US/Canada: 703.286.6277

Local Toll-Free numbers:
France: 0805.101.490
Germany: 0800.664.5510
Japan: 0066.33.132.830
Portugal: 800.814.450
Spain: 800.300.560
UK: 0800.048.4646

Please press option 3 to get to Billing Support.

Since the UK office was closed along with the European ones, the idea of trying to stay up late to ring USA did not appeal much, not that I have needed to. The idea of having a local call centre is a bit of a comfort, even if its late in arriving.

Strange that I do not feel the same about the arrival of one LEA sim as a sandbox..... or maybe not so strange really. Although it sounds bad to suggest that 50,000 concurrent users can share one sim as a sandbox when every other grid provides 4 or so sims for a few hundred (concurrent) users ... I know that all 50k are not gonna end up in the same box...why??....well, this is the bit that annoys me...

For the last 7 or so years altruistic sponsors have been paying to provide us with sandboxes.... yes, paying to provide us with a facility that, by any standards of service, should be down to LL to provide. So, for Sasun, Art Mother, to suggest that she has worked hard to get this, the very most basic service, for us 'Artists' just makes me see red.

The fact of the matter is that LL want us to mentor incoming noob future-content-creators to make up for the ones fleeing to InWorldz where Artists and Content Creators are welcomed and cared for..... and, when you consider how much a sim actually costs Linden Lab to provide for our pleasure, it probably amounts to about 10US$ (obviously a guess) ...and, to be honest, I feel it is a disgrace.

It feels like someone has tipped me a penny after a few years work. I know that's not a perfect analogy but emotionally that is what it feels like.... and that's why I'm boycotting the whole farce.

It is not satisfactory for someone to say "well, it's a step in the right direction" because as I just explained it feels like an insult. ...and I have heard it said more than twice now... that we shouldn't keep harping on about a promise of 70 sims... I have seen written.... "...by a man who has now left LL..." ...a disingenuous statement considering he was not just "a man" but the CEO of Linden Lab giving a keynote address.

70 sims would have had me congratulating the Boys for their vision and balls....

... one sandbox... pathetic.

...and the Griefer Day.... I can't even go there......demented. I leave that for SaveMe to explain.

:))

8 comments:

  1. Don't let them affect you emotionally, you're a wonderful artist that enlightens any virtual world with your vision.

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  2. thx Bradd, you are right, and it doesn't worry me a fraction of how it used to now I have another, better home in IWz.

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  3. Hmmm it begs the question: How many years has SL been running for? How many years has IW been up and running? Yet the latter have already super-passed "the boys" with their initiative and foresight. Thanks for your comments Soror - makes my blood boil re the Linden Fraternity. You are great and do so much to promote Art in the Virtual Worlds.

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  4. Thanks Anna, yes, it's like the Hare and The Tortoise fable....those starting later arrive first.

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  5. Yay for the phone access! I have EU residents that have had difficulty simply affording and international call to fix stuff like billing.
    /me wonders if my Aussie residents will get phone access soon.
    As for the sandbox stuff? See my comment here:
    http://sorornishi.blogspot.com/2011/05/jayjay-zifanwe.html

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  6. I have clapped in other places for the Billing action - when LL does something good, it should be recognized. As far as the Sandbox goes... it's a great place to play with my Barbies... oops I mean my Bryn Oh Dahls :D (they are quite primmy).

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  7. Great news that billing access is expanded.

    What do you think about avatar physics though?

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  8. Well, Lenoirre, in fact it turns out there are still bugs in the billing. Avatar physics I could live without.

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