freebie culture inSL

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Ana Lutetia | 58 Comments

We can discuss it on Plurk… or in the comments.

~flirt~ Jewelry Expo Aqua Gift Edition – not worth 1 L$?
Gwyneth Llewelyn :: The Hard Facts About the Second Life® Economy
GREENE concept :: The dynamics of Dollarbies – advice for content creators
Prad Prathivi :: I can haz freebiez
Teagan Blackthorne :: Pay It Forward
Dusan Writer :: Virtual Worlds and the Trend Towards Free: Second Life and the Object Economy
Bailey Longcloth :: Marketing 101 and the Freebie
Clio’s messy room
Raul Crimson :: Freebies… are them for free?
VintFalken :: Are Freebies a showstopper?
Prokofy Neva :: It’s the Stupid, Economy.
Quaintly Tuqiri :: Weighing in
NWN :: Are Freebies Hurting The SL Economy? Round-Up Of Thoughts On An Over-Saturated Economy

Category: Second Life®, freebies / dollarbies, personal / toughts

Comments

58 Responses to “freebie culture inSL”

dandellion Kimban
October 23rd, 2008 @ 10:24

LOL
Metaversally Speaking.. » I can haz freebiez
October 23rd, 2008 @ 11:14

[...] Ana posted up a lolcat to protest against the “Freebie Culture” of Second Life. I have to agree with her – I’ve never been a huge fan of people turning up in hordes to grab a freebie, and then just leave to find their next freebie fix. To me, its extremely unsustainable and as a business owner, I refrain from giving away freebies. When I do, they’re usually emblazoned with the company logo. [...]
Joodle Fadoodle
October 23rd, 2008 @ 11:19

Hi Ana. I don’t have Plurk, but the topic of too many free itens (inSL) has been on my mind a lot lately. While I believe is a great thing for newbies and some people that cannot really affort to buy inSL, I’m starting to doubt if this is a good thing altogether and how & if the freebie culture is affecting the small business. Gwyneth Llewelyn had a post about this a couple of months ago and I’m starting to agree with her. I would love to know your views about it. Cheers!
I can haz freebiez « iheartsl.com
October 23rd, 2008 @ 11:21

[...] by Prad Prathivi on October 23, 2008 Ana posted up a lolcat to protest against the “Freebie Culture” of Second Life. I have to agree with her – I’ve never been a huge fan of people turning up in hordes to grab [...]
Ana Lutetia
October 23rd, 2008 @ 11:41

In my opinion, the freebie culture might kill the SL economy as we know it. It is nice to get to know a store by acquiring a freebie but it is expected that the avatar goes back to acquire not free items if he/she likes the product. But now people are demanding freebies or dollarbies and even criticize freebies/dollabies!! C’mon! The designer spend time doing something, spend L$ in the upload, marks the item at 0L$ or 1L$ and people criticize!? o.O
If people don’t want to spend money inSL, that’s fine but these people shouldn’t be allowed to comment on the quality of a given article.

Also, to run SL in my computer I have a good computer, a fast internet connection and unlimited downloads in my cable internet. This means I can run SL without worried about the bill (because of international downloads) in the end of the month. Some people I know have to check everyday the downloads made by SL or they will have a surprise in the end of the month.
This doesn’t mean that I am a wealthy person inRL. It means that I prefer to spend my € in a good internet connection instead of going out to eat in a nice restaurant – for example. People make choices and that is mine. I also opt to spend some € I earn in my RL job buying L$ and 15€ = 5,359.685 L$ – which is quite a bargain, in my opinion.
Joodle Fadoodle
October 23rd, 2008 @ 12:15

Thanks Ana. I just finished reading Gwyn’s new post and I agree with you 100%. I had people complaining about my dollarbies and that stopped me on my tracks. Plus I noticed that in my store, people that come for the dollarbies don’t even *look* at the rest of the stuff. Is TP in, grab, TP out.

But the important question is, what can we do to solve this situation? Should the majority of the designers start limiting their freebies, like giving it only to the 30 day or less AVs? Should we talk about it in our blogs without the fear of sounding cheap?
Ana Lutetia
October 23rd, 2008 @ 12:28

I don’t think any content creator could be consider cheap to talking about it in their blogs but this is my opinion! There is a world crisis going on and that alone might be dropping sales inSL but I also believe that this freebie culture will kill SL economy much faster.

I remembered when a freebie/dollarbie was something really special and I also remember when a treasure hunt was something great to do for fun. Nowadays, there always several hunts at the same time and I think that some people are doing it to don’t be left behind. It’s the new hype inSL: freebies/dollarbies and hunts. What people forget is that for every single freebie, the content creator spent hours/days making the thing…

Solutions?
Sachi Vixen from Adam n Eve is thinking about a reward system. The idea itself is great and I hope that more people think about it.
Another solution can be bi-monthly, weekly or monthly gifts to group members that spent some amount in the store.
dandellion Kimban
October 23rd, 2008 @ 12:33

For the mere curiosity… what do you do when somebody approach you and complain about a freebie? What do you respond?
Ana Lutetia
October 23rd, 2008 @ 12:46

An example, Miriel has free/demo eyes in her store. I TPed and tried the free ones. This is a great way to make people aware of the quality of a product. After that I keep going back to buy more colors even though the colors in the demo pack are quite good. The other day I was there checking the colors and there were other avatars around. One of them was a girl born that day, the other was an older avie that was telling her to get the free pack. After getting the pack, they TPed out back to the club where they came from.
Desidelia
October 23rd, 2008 @ 13:28

This is a nice a topic and complicated; As I see there are 2 reasons to put freebies, one is offer a freebie and hope you will do some money from people that grabs and will buy another thing, this is the most common excuse from people that supports freebies, the reality is that is false, and I know from experience, my numbers shows that for 8000 people that grab the freebie, about 100 buys sometihng else wich don’t compensate in most of cases (if the freebie is really good.
The 2nd reason and most valuable is publicity, I confess this was very good, cheap publicity, but this was in the past, I remmeber in the past a shop offering a good freebie were WOW but cos there were few shops that offered good freebies, all others mostly were crap. But nowadays there are lot of freebies and lot are very good, what happens that is probable that people grab the freebie and don’t remember your shop due to the saturation, even the freebie is very good, cos maybe this day the person grabbed 50 more freebies and 35 good ones. So is the main problem while before was a very ood publicity, today is puntual publicity.

Besides this there are another factors that influencies the economy in SL

1- The RL global crisis (it’s a fact)
2- The sculpts, the current tools of SL are becoming obsolete, and there is the thought that if the item has sculpts its better, well sculpts are amazing but for the other side you need lot of more knowlodge and soon will be a requisit know 3d programs, this makes that normal people or old shops became uncompetiive cos if its alredy difficult learn photoshop, learn a 3d is 10 times more difficult
3- The piracy, well this is an apart topic
Freyja Nemeth
October 23rd, 2008 @ 13:38

To be fair, someone born on the same day would not have been able to get any money even if she wanted to unless given to her by another avatar. That is quite a stumbling block that I wish LL would do away with.

I see a lot of newbies come into Adam n Eve and actually consider things, but then they can’t buy anything because they have no money. By the time they actually get money, they may already have learned to get by on freebies.

Or they may never have intended to spend money in SL, and then I don’t think it changes anything whether there are 1 or 100 freebies available.
kesseret
October 23rd, 2008 @ 14:22

My first day in SL I was able to get money. I bought Lindens. So everyone has the opportunity to obtain cash when they first rez, whether they do or not is their business. I had a super bad experience with customers over a 1L vendor that had reverted to not being for sale. So bad I took every 1L/free item out of my store. To the customers that were very friendly, I sent them store cards for their troubles, to the mean ones, they got nothing. I’ve never had someone complain about my dollarbies/freebies- at least let me rephrase – I’ve never had someone complain to my face about my dollarbies/freebies. (Blessing, I think)

I get plenty of people who say thank you to me over free/dollar items. I just don’t get the people who feel they are entitled to free stuff. This stuff takes time to create. I like free stuff too, I’m the biggest cheapskate. But I’ve been known to spend money for something I consider artwork. Some places I won’t shop unless they have a sale. Some places I won’t shop in at all because I just think the price is too high. But I’ve never complained to any of the creators nor demanded an item for lower price. In fact, the only person who knows about my shopping complaints is really my best friend.
Freyja Nemeth
October 23rd, 2008 @ 14:44

When I joined, I had to wait either 24 or possibly 48 hours before I was able to buy Lindens. Since I had already picked out a skin to buy (my partner had done window-shopping for me before I created my account, heh), I remember the frustration.

I don’t know if this has changed or not, but I have heard it recently from new players that they have not been able to buy Lindens immediately after signing up. But it could be that it is an old limitation that doesn’t exist any more but which is still passed around as true.

In fact, looking at the trading limits info, it does seem to have been changed. Possibly, different payment methods may still slow it down, not sure.
Jhuzen Ketsugo
October 23rd, 2008 @ 14:47

This is a tricky subject, I can see it from many sides and I am not sure there is any one solution.

As A Designer:
I know how long it takes me to make a single item (since I am basically a rank amateur and don’t do it often enough to develop skill and speed). I know how much the uploads cost me, and then the time to create the items, the system layers, the prims. I know that I have to step back into the studio to take pictures for the vendors and then go back into PS and make ads. And lately, all I have time to make is freebies for various hunts I participate in as a donor.
It can definitely kill the creative spark in anyone.

As A Mall Manager:
I spend weeks, sometimes months planning SIM events to drive traffic and publicize the SIM. These events are not always freebie driven, we have had sales where vendors could opt in to putting items out for a sidewalk sale, perhaps making a few extra sales by the traffic without having to make anything new or free. We have photo contests, live events, auctions, fashion shows, and we have a nightclub on the SIM that also drives traffic, but the shops also bring traffic to the Club/Mall.
I am always incredibly uncomfortable asking vendors to participate, always make it clear that it is 100% optional, and never harrass people who opt not to participate. They rent a shop from me, they are not obligated to do anything more then pay their rentals. I thank them graciously, their generosity and kindness overwhelms me, and often brings me to tears (I am a bit of a suck).
These events are spaced out by several months, are usually not repeated year to year (this is our first halloween event) and I really feel that the good buzz and new visitors to the SIM are more likely to visit again and spend money if they like what they see.
Doing a hunt is an excellent way to get people to explore a whole SIM, to discover it really, and that hopefully benefits everyone. Asking each vendor to supply one item for a hunt is sometimes asking a lot, particularly when they have several requests at once. It is a very difficult line to walk.

As A Consumer:
There are Free Gifts that I absolutely adore, use them often, and sometimes I discover new shops becuase of the “Freebie Blogs”. I rarely only go somewhere for a freebie, I almost always browse the shop, and spend if I see things that would work in my wardrobe. I do not feel an obligation to spend money, but I understand the effort people put in to a freebie is equal to that of any other item in their shop, and I appreciate that effort and generosity and am more likely to return to that shop having been there before. (I keep a list of shops and every few months make a point to visit each one to see the new releases.)
I would be very unlikely to wear a free gift that was emblazoned with a store logo, as I don’t wear them in RL. Unless I am employed by a shop/SIM don’t feel like acting as a walking billboard. That is my personal preference, no judgement on those who feel otherwise.
I consider free gifts to be icing on my SL cake, not essential, but wonderful and exciting and they generate a lot of good will from me as a consumer.

As A Blogger:
I use Free Gift items in my “Look Of The Day” posts if they fit the style, I always comment that it was a gift/freebie/dollarbie and I think that is the best way I know how to say thank-you to a designer.

Do I think things have gotten a bit out of control?
Sometimes I do, when there is a glut of free merchandise on the market, then there is no way for it all to get due attention. But let’s face it, SL has grown exponentially in the 2 years since I joined, and what used to be 15-20K avatars logged on a busy Saturday is now more then 60K. Without the Casinos and the Gambling, the SL economy took a huge hit, and a lot of the money dried up.
For me SL is not a game, I have real friends here, I work several hours a day most days, and I take pride in my work, I get a great deal of satisfaction from it. For the same token, some people see it as “Just a Game”, and for them the most exciting game is ‘How to live on next to nothing’. Sometimes I wish I had done that in part, my credit card debt is insane since joining SL, but I believe in paying for the things I want and need.
Designers who choose not to offer free gifts are not likely to lose much business if their products are desireable and unique. For instance, I don’t recall Armidi ever offering a free gift, dollarbie, sale, or other incentive, they seem to be doing ok. There will always be a market for well made goods and innovative creations. But it is almost a class issue, I wonder if there is not a SL Upper Class and Lower Class system.
Is it wrong to look down on individuals who do not choose to spend RL dollars in-world? Is it ok to say that those who spend real money are somehow better then those who only forage for free items? Why is it ok to assume that the only people who horde freebies are underage users who have no credit cards? In today’s economy, I am heading down a road where I too have to stop the bleeding and tighten my belt, deny myself things I would want because in the end I don’t really NEED anything but my friends and family in SL, whereas in RL I need a home, food, health care, clothing, etc.
Perhaps there are two distinct cultural groups/beliefs about freebies. Those who see it as a game to subsist on the most minimal of linden balances, and those who feel that buying lindens or selling goods for dollars is the only way to truly participate in SL.

Will eccessive freebies kill what is left of the SL economy? Only time will tell. I think there is a distinct difference between ‘Quality Free Gifts’ and ‘Free Stuff for the sake of Traffic Alone’. In the end, each designer must decide on the balance for themselves, if they feel they will benefit from offering gifts, then I don’t think anyone should stop them.

Appologies for the Essay Ana et al. Insomnia strikes again.

~ Ketsy
Ana Lutetia
October 23rd, 2008 @ 15:10

In my example about Miriel, the question wasn’t about the just born avatar but about the person that brought her there…
kesseret
October 23rd, 2008 @ 15:45

Ketsy- Great post! Seriously, total agreement. I do think that people believe just because you don’t offer a freebie/dollarbie or you get upset over a situation regarding it that they think you are looking down on someone. I got accused of that. I still get accused of it when someone asks me for Lindens (stranger account- not friends) and I say, “Buy some” or I give them Newbie Resident Kit that contains the notecard “How to make money in SL”. All I want is to teach a man to fish, so he can eat. Instead of just giving them the fish.

I put in my payment information as I signed up for my account. Linden Lab gave me 200L for that and then I bought some. I also went premium very fast. Maybe that was it? Or, my memory may be falting (good possibility). Either way, even if you have to wait a week- that’s not a lot of time to wait but plenty of time to pick stuff out and try out demos. I wore my demo of my first RAC skin for a week before buying- and I was like 8 months old, lol!

Thanks for the good discussion! <3
Ana Lutetia
October 23rd, 2008 @ 16:22

A little off-topic or maybe not: aren’t people willing to pay to play WoW…?
SySy
October 23rd, 2008 @ 16:42

really interesting and good topic. I’m sorting my thoughts on this but it got me thinking….
Just Me
October 23rd, 2008 @ 17:15

Funny. You are the person who brags to people that you never pay for anything in SL and you are criticizing the freebie communities at large. Practice what you preach babe. Stop accepting and asking for free items from designers and live by your own words. Until you do this, your opinion of freebie hunters is worthless. At least they are upfront about it. You hide behind your “review” policy. Maybe I would buy your “review” theory if you hadn’t bragged to so many people that you never pay for anything in SL because designers give you their stuff for free. So get off the soapbox until you are ready to live by your own words.
Ana Lutetia
October 23rd, 2008 @ 17:40

Funny… There’s a Portuguese expression perfect for the comment above: pain in the elbow.
Just Me, you have such a twisted idea of me. *sigh* I usually brag about arriving at work on time or when I find a new tool in PS but I guess you are talking about the wrong blogger in your comment.

My comment to you, dear Just Me, is: I don’t hide behind my avatar, don’t hide my avatar behind a weird name in comments and don’t even use a proxy to make a comment in someone else’s blog…

Novo comentário ao seu post #2562 “freebie culture inSL”
Autor: Just Me (IP: 193.200.150.23 , mail23.anonymouse.org)
Correio Electrónico: murielabba@yahoo.com
URL :
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Lourdes
October 23rd, 2008 @ 17:43

I am clearly going to be in the minority here. But, when I first came to SL in May. I got alot of freebies in the first few days after rez. I’ll mention a few, ETD, Fleur skins, Nyte N Day, Blacklace, Adam and Eve, Miriel, Sn@tch and Lassitude and Ennui and to name a few.
When I did buy lindens a week or 2 later I bought my first skin from Fleur, shoes from lassitude and Ennui, lingerie from Blacklace, hair from ETD shoes and clothes from Adam and Eve and jewelry and eyes from Miriel.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this. Not everyone is a cheap ass who will never buy lindens or pay for items. Alot of us take a freebie and based on the quality of the freebie decide to go back and spend more money or by half the store which was the case with ETD hairs.

I don’t think anyone is obliged to hand out freebies, but as the blog say its would behoove you to offer a good example of your work if you want a potential repeat customer. I don’t think it has gotten out of hand at all. I also don’t think creators who give out freebies should take it personally when people pop in grab a freebie and move on. Its the nature of the beast.
Ana Lutetia
October 23rd, 2008 @ 19:32

Same here, Lourdes, I did the same. I go back to the stores where I got my first stuff. When I started I grabbed the Gurl6 hair and went over lots of time to get more.

The thing is some content creators are seeing their sales decreasing. It could be due to the world crisis… but I don’t believe it is healthier in a long term all this freebie/dollarbie culture because some people won’t spend a dime inSL, expect to get everything for free and even complaint about the quality of the freebies. It’s the greediness behind it that makes me sick. And my question is: is this freebie culture making more content creators work be recognized?
Noa
October 23rd, 2008 @ 20:04

I don’t agree with your opinion. I grab freebies and still spend tons of cash on stuff. To me a freebie is a good way of getting to know a designer by trying out something before I buy more from the designer. So if you never let people try some of your work, how will they know that they like it? Especially when everything is photoshopped before it’s put on sale.

Most of the bloggers that blog outfits either get them for free to promote them or photoshop their asses off to make their blogs look good. So how can I, customer who is willing to pay for quality clothes know if the clothes I buy are any good then? By spending a lot of money (because let’s face it, we buy stuff with real money that is virtual!) to conclude that the outfit isn’t all that?

So unless you give people freebies or a demo to let them try your work (just as you can check out clothes in store before you buy them) don’t judge all the freebie grabbers all at once. I’m sure there are people who only grab freebies and nothing more but I bet theres an even bigger amount of people, like me, that simply wants to see if they like a designer before spending money.

So I would like to thank those designers who do put out freebies for their customers because they thank us for shopping with them and make us able to see their work first before buying.
Twisted Lemon
October 23rd, 2008 @ 20:39

I really liked Jhuzen Ketsugos post, and I am three things in this argument – I blog about freebies in my Top Tips for Newbies so I am guilty of sending people to freebie places, I blog about style tips so I buy things as well and I love treasure hunts because they are so much fun. My opinion (and it is mine) is:
Freebies are great for newbies because they will learn very fast what is their style and what is available, and will ‘feel’ better dressed while they are learning the ropes.
Then when they have decided to stay, the first place you look when thinking about new hair/skin/whatever is your inventory. If you liked the look of your item and it suited your avatars personality you will go back to that shop time and time again and buy from them. My example, like the two above, includes Miriel. My friend told me about the demo pack, so I picked it up and wear it often. But I have since bought many other items there because I like those eyes the best.
Treasure Hunts introduce me to new sims, new designers, and new items. I love them, they are fun, like Hide and Seek and Treasure Hunts when I was a child. And yes, I discard some things, but others I put in my folders and go back and buy things later. Mostly when the sim is not laggy.
My blog recommends to newbies to find freebies and treasure hunts when you begin. But it also recommends remembering who you owe your loyalty and your Lindens to when you have money later.
In RL we get discounts, promotional items, and free items to promote and market businesses in our areas. In SL it is not unreasonable to see the same, but it will always be the personal choice of the designer or creator to do it or not.

Maybe we need to blog more about good manners, supporting the people/designers that supported you, and remembering always to Pay It Forward to others.
Sasy Scarborough
October 23rd, 2008 @ 20:49

I used to have a folder to pass to new residents, full of LMs to places that gave to New Residents to start them on their way, I loved my folder, I met people months later or even longer, who told me someone had given them a copy when they came in to world, or just how much my giving it to them helped them become self sufficient.

I haven’t handed it out in months .

xox Sasy xox
Nimil
October 23rd, 2008 @ 23:05

copypasta from my comment on raul’s blog:

freebies are awesome! they’ve helped us boost sales and get our name out.. freebies can show people what you make without forcing them to buy something to check out your quality and style. i can’t count how many new stores i have found from going around looking for freebies in shopping centers and i am much more likely to frequent shops that have freebies offered, especially QUALITY freebies.

i also feel that freebies are vital to those starting out in second life. not everyone has the ability or want to buy L$, especially when they are new in sl and don’t know if they want to stay.. why put money into something when you are just starting out? but of course the stuff you start with is not very good, and even the updated noob avatars are really subpar. freebies help new people individualize themselves without having to put out an arm and a leg. and after they’ve been around for a while, they will probably remember those stores that helped them out, and they will buy stuff!
Phoenix Chapman
October 23rd, 2008 @ 23:09

——-> Most of the bloggers that blog outfits either get them for free to promote them or photoshop their asses off to make their blogs look good. <——–

The bloggers I know (most of the old-school ones, not so much the new breed) NEVER photoshop their blog photos to oblivion, and take great pride in that. Not only that, not every blogger gets free items. I myself specifically do not accept review copies.
Phoenix Chapman
October 23rd, 2008 @ 23:17

Also re: freebies,

I stopped going to hunts when they became so ubiquitous that you could get the same item by a designer in 2 or more hunts…

I rarely go out of my way now to get freebies, unless it’s by a designer I know and like already, and I invariably already have quite a bit of their stock in my inventory. For example: Luth Brodie’s Reel Expression. She recently put out some lucky chair items, even though she had previously not liked the idea of them. I would absolutely bust my ass to get them for 2 reasons: 1) I already love her stuff, so I know they’re going to be good; and 2) They’re not available for purchase.

I think freebies are far too commonplace now, but I don’t think *all* freebies are bad just by their very nature. I would like to see the freebie hunter blogs go away. Not because of the writers, because the ones I know seem very nice, but because they’ve turned so many people into rabid greedy assholes who get demanding and rude with designers that happen to offer them.
Willis
October 23rd, 2008 @ 23:27

I have to really just say I agree with Phoe.

When I was a regular blogger (back in the day… waves walking stick about).. sure I had some freebies, but I can hand on heart say I bought 95% of what I blogged, because I was adament I’d blog what I liked and of course like any sane person.. I’d buy what I liked and not “expect” it for free. That really bugs me when people *assume* bloggers get a free and easy ride.. not all of them do and not all of them rely on review copies, I know I didn’t and as stated above, neither does Phoe.

Now freebies, yes there are lots of them and I too, don’t go out of my way (except for those 2 times when i NEEEEEEEDED the exclusive lucky chair skin and breakable pearls ) BUT.. that being said, if they were buyable, I would have bought them, not waited for a W to randomly pop up on the chairs.

I agree that freebies can both good and bad in different ways, I have collected freebies I haven’t liked and that aren’t my taste or what i’d class “well made” but did I bitch out the person that made them? No. I simply deleted and moved on. It’s not the freebies I disagree with here, it’s the blatent assmuppets that are bitchin’ that something isn’t good enough, or that their “freebie” was actually a “dollarbie” Jeebus, get a pixel grip.

I have spent insane amounts of money on SL and I will continue to do so, most likely.. so yes… I enjoy seeing people hand out freebies as a token of appreciation but i’ll more than happily spend at those stores whether there is a freebie there or not.

Did that make sense? probably not. IT’S TEH LATE!
SySy
October 24th, 2008 @ 01:28

if thats’ not the same “anonymous” Just me who was ever so friendly to me aswell on the scd blog ….LOL. Gosh, are you always only negative Justme? Why don’t you tell me your inworld name so we can have a talk with whats really bothering you, because all you seem to do is be negative about ppl who are successfull in what their doing.

Anyway, i posted my thoughts on one of the other blogs in the comments. So many blogs about this topic now! Good you started it though, Ana, cause its an interesting topic.
*hugs*
SySy
October 24th, 2008 @ 01:29

**ignore this forgot to put notify email on** lol
callie cline
October 24th, 2008 @ 02:05

ive enjoyed getting freebies and giving them. i do it for different reasons at different times, just depends on what. sometimes i send my group a freebie in the notices (just cuz i like to switch it up) other times i make it “group only” and they have to wear their tag to get it, others i make it “free for all” i really dont care if ppl join my group for a second to grab free stuff. i dont know their reasons and i dont assume they are cheap. i know i like to make it “fun” and for some reasons people LIKE fun, lol. (go figure) and i love to be there when mobs descend if i can to meet people, even ones who want only free stuff. i’ve had only one person be rude about a freebie, and that was sorta funny in and of itself.

my friend, sue stonebender does loyalty points for her customers which is great, i do as well, but in a less formal way…

but i like freebies for my group cuz they like them… pretty simple. and i really like to give out stuff, it’s fun, especially if it’s something people have wanted for a long time but can’t afford…

but in a way, i see a LOT of freebies, but sorta in RL there are a lot too, well not as good as in SL, hahaha.

i’m not sure what i think more than this, but i have gotten free stuff that has introduced me to a store i mostly likely would have never heard of, which is ALWAYS fun. i guess there is a lot of competion out there now for the “spenders” money and i’m sure we’ll see waves of different trends from freebies to *fill in the blank* but none of them are bad in themselves.

there is just so much amazing talent out there on the grid… which is quite exciting.

ok well just my 2 cents

xoxo, caLLie (who hasn’t posted in a long time on any blog, even her own)
Patou Dumont
October 24th, 2008 @ 02:46

Excellent topic. I’m overwhelmed with the quantity of freebies around and honestly, this is having the opposite effect in me: freebies and hunts are starting to turn me off.

@Just Me: You sound jealous. Clearly you don’t understand the work of keeping a blog like this one. The pics, the photoshop, the writing, linking, etc. I don’t see anything wrong in getting the items for free for the reviews. I’m sure Ana directs some traffic to the stores she blogs about. And saying that just because someone gets their items free for reviews (some, all, doesn’t matter, is none of our biz anyways) they cannot understand the economic situation and write about it in their blog is just plain stupid. Get over yourself.
lucille morigi
October 24th, 2008 @ 02:54

Ana, I must be a very different person because
I never went on any hunt and there are 2 reasons for that: I hate lag and I hate having to spend more time on sl than needed.

ok, that said – I don’t forget about people that only want to have some fun during some part of the day/night and don’t take sl seriously enough to spend real money on it. Even more, those that can’t spend real money because they have to send their children to school or get them some food – even though somehow they do have a good cable connection God knows where they go to loggin to sl – and still want to have some fun.

Why should these people be apart of a fantastic world of beauty and fashion?

Should then they remain noobs because they can’t afford skins or clothes?

In my mind this is pure elitism. Nothing else.
I suppose no one would dare to say that these people shouldn’t be here. Please – that would be too much.

Maybe people forget that there is actually a real life, with real financial problems and these people come here exactly to forget these problems – just like other people come here to forget whatever their problems are.

There is one free account on sl isn’t there?

And there are many people with no payment info – gee, I wonder why that is….
Alia Whitfield
October 24th, 2008 @ 09:11

I recently started designing eyes here in SL and I’ve offered new, special freebies with each release. I have seen probably one sale to every ten to fifteen freebies that go out.

I’m happy to give people samples of my work, I want them to try them out and see how they look and to see how much work I put into them. And I do put real work into them. Anyone who’s tried to design anything in Second Life has learned very quickly that it’s never as easy as it looks. It actually takes work and dedication to get good at original content creation. And I think any designer, good or bad, experienced or not, takes pride in their work and the act of selling it stems, basically, from the want to share what we are so proud of with the rest of the world. It is both a narcissistic and generous intent.

Unfortunately with every generous nature, there is someone around to take advantage of it. There always will be. Whether those people will or won’t buy has nothing to do with whether we offer quality freebies. It comes down to every person, individually (or as partners, in some cases), to decide whether they want to let those people effect what they do.

There are very, very few people on SL who actually make what their skill is worth. Those people have paid their dues and continue to bust ass to keep up with the trends, to keep people interested, to stay inspired, including the headaches and hazards of operating a shop and helping customers and handling complaints and griefers and all the other issues that come with being a store owner on SL. That’s a choice we all make, to undergo that hassle for the sake of promoting our precious creations.

It is genuinely frustrating to see so many freebies go out in such stunning relation to the sales. On one hand I’m grateful for the traffic and notice and accept that as a new designer I need to pay some dues and have some patience. I’m fine with that. I’m actually looking forward to it.

I will most likely continue to offer freebies with every major release. Because I love freebies. And I passionately believe every freebie should be as high a quality item as anything you would sell at full price. I don’t care to let the people who will horde for freebies alone dictate the way I run my own business. If I wanted my work to be dictated by the actions of ungrateful turds, I’d go work at a real store.

But all that aside, here’s another point here to consider.

People talk a lot about whether a newbie or anyone should or does want to spend “real money” or “a lot of money” on “a game”. I’ll give you that. And there are many games out there that require at least a nominal fee to play every month, so it often seems unfair that you can play Second Life without dropping a penny on it. However.

First, let’s just clear this up. Second Life is not a game. It is a platform. Games have points, scores, teams, things to defeat, missions, agendas, a purpose driving you forward. Second Life is a free-form, user-customizable online community with visual aides and zero direction. It is a lot of things: entertainment, commerce, education, social interaction, and granted its graphic interface is very much like a video game but let’s not mistake it for something it is not. There are games you can play in Second Life, from roleplaying to pay-to-plays to those crazy head games some people love to get into (y’all know who you are, even if I don’t) but the platform itself is not a game. It just doesn’t pass the physical.

Second, can we please keep the currency rates in perspective here? $5000Ls costs just under -twenty- USD. That is NOT “a lot of money”. It is, however, sufficient funds to get yourself properly pimped out for just about any occasion you might run into on SL, provided you’re careful and shop smart, and will probably leave you a little wiggle room for playing Zyngo (you know you want to).

“But Alia, to some people twenty dollars IS a lot of money.” Yes, to some people it is. The economy of the entire world is in a rapid decline and nobody can or will argue that. Everything in the real world costs more. However, the creature comforts required to GET to Second Life (a fairly high powered computer, these days, and a damn good internet connection) are not exactly baseline survival needs. I’m sure your internet company receives its due every month, and I’m sure whoever created your computer got a little something in their pocket before it fell into your hands. If you can seriously tell me that dropping a few hundred Ls – less than a dollar, in most cases – to take home a product and find out if a new store really passes muster is “a lot of money”, you should recheck your numbers. I don’t know anywhere else I can spend an entire night shopping and walk away only twenty bucks lighter. If you do, please share it.

“But some people just want to have fun!” Yeah, I want to have fun too. I also want to pay for my internet and my computer upgrades and keep my electricity turned on. I have spent a great deal of time – a scant fraction in comparison to most other designers here – working on making sure my products are the very best I can turn out, products that I think are high enough quality that I would pay for them myself. Do I think I’m the greatest? Maybe a little bit. But I’m probably not. The point is, -I would pay for them-. Because they’re beautiful and they deserve compensation for the work that was put into them. If all you want to do is have fun, you don’t need to look better than a newb. If you also require beauty, you should get what you pay for. Vanity is a luxury, not a right. We all want to have fun. Fun is free. Everyone can have as much as they want. Fun supplies will never run short. But being -pretty- costs money. Nobody is entitled to pretty. Same goes for the real world.

Yeah, times are tough. I’m not exempt. I don’t have a lot of disposable income in a month and after I pay for land fees on SL (one more overhead for the designer a lot of people like to ignore while happily pointing out how pretty those insanely high prim sculptey trees are), that number lowers significantly. Personally, I’m a lot more inclined to spend money on Second Life these days simply because it’s more bang for the buck. Sure, I could go and get myself some retail therapy on Amazon or wade through the teenagers at the mall but I’m not going to get there what I can get on SL. On Second Life, I can wear the Big Names and sport the Big Looks and I never have to worry about whether any of it needs to be dry cleaned or how I’m gonna fit another twelve pairs of jeans into my closet. It’s a nice break from reality. But it ain’t free.

I’m a serious SL user. I collect clothing like it’s art. It is a rabid addiction. I realize my vantage point is skewed by that. But I harbor great resentment for people who tell me that they can’t afford to spend money on Second Life, when somehow they have managed to secure themselves the means to get there in the first place.

And in the cases of people who are using other people’s computers, other people’s connections, disabled or criminally insane or otherwise incapable of attaining a credit card or paypal or bank account, let’s bring in a reality check for them, too. There are jobs in SL. Many of them do not require any sort of rigid schedule. Most employers are happy if you show up once or twice a week. Not all of them are in sex clubs, either. There are camping chairs, there are store clerk positions, there are any number of things a person can do without investing a dime of their own money, and using only their brains and their words to get by. If you can’t find a way to score Ls SOMEWHERE in SL, you are actively not trying.
Ana Lutetia
October 24th, 2008 @ 09:35

The topic isn’t about blogging and/or receiving items to blog about but people like to discuss this issue. Once more I ask everyone: is my time (about 2/3h per post) less important than the designers time in making the outfit…? And, from what I have heard, I direct a lot of people to the stores I promote. So, second question, is the designer loosing or gaining by sending review items to bloggers? And after a store is showed in some blogs, the designer will make some bucks but is it truly fair that the person (the blogger) that promoted them has to spend (more of their RL) money for someone else to have a profit?
When you advertise in RL you actually pay someone to promote your store/label/whatever. InSL designers send review copies to bloggers. I can’t understand what is wrong with that… or even with receiving them. Also, my credit card would be very sad if I didn’t spend some/a lot of my free time inSL. ^^
luth
October 24th, 2008 @ 10:11

The problem with the SL economy doesn’t start or end with the freebie culture. The amount of (quality or not) freebies lessens the amount people have to spend, not the amount they are willing to spend.

If you force someone who is unwilling (at least at first) to support the economy and/or content creator’s hard work, chances are they will log out for good before using the LindEx. Some freebie hunters could eventually get invested enough in SL to become consumers and/or creators, while others never will.

In all honesty, the 3 limited edition lucky chair type freebies I have now were created in perhaps 3 hours after 12 hours in the hospital being tested and monitored for pneumonia. They were cast offs from having too many ideas for previous packs. Not technically challenging at all, but not low quality either. If 1 person likes it enough to buy more and/or tell their budding model/photographer/designer friend about me then it was worth it.

1. There have always been far too many people trying to make money in SL than the market can bear. However, it seems that this year there has been a much larger increase in that number. For instance, the number of posers has grown this year at least 4x as much as last, for such a tiny market that it is.

This is the point of Gwyn’s long post you linked that I disagree with the most. I think the number of content creators has risen drastically this year to still over compensate for the numbers that have left.

It may be blamed on the news media’s constant reporting that people make a living off this odd thing called SL. They still do it you know, just not as much. Rarely do they mention that so few make a living wage – 236 according to LL last month – and the vast difficulties you face. So it gets into people’s minds that they are entitled to it.

Add that with a failing RL economy, everything is more expensive and people loosing their RL jobs and it’s no wonder more and more are giving the reported “easy” road a go.

2. It also seems that the amount of ruthless biz practices has increased, which is typical of higher supply for the demand. Increased productivity (flooding the already saturated market) in order to keep reminding people you are there. I personally can not keep up with some of my competition on that one unless I lower my quality.

Increasing amount of freebies – quality or not – to get people in your store and not the competition’s. Hunts, profile pick only freebies, camping, bots, sales, ass kissing (especially to bloggers), insane classified costs, keyword insanity, copying, pirating, cheap knock-offs, ect ect.

Each one of us has a limit on how far we will go, until the limitlessness of our competition starts to piss us off and we push that limit just a bit. For instance, I’m too honest and blunt of a person for ass kissing, but I’ve been making more of an effort to be social. Only a small boost in sales, but an invaluable greater respect for many, including some of my competition. Which for a person who quality? Easily could be influenced by the current RL economy.

4. Innovation is mostly stagnant right now. It’s been a while since I’ve seen something that I HAD to buy. I’ve read in some of the linked blogs that there is a limit to innovation, and I HIGHLY disagree. I’ve got a long list of ideas that prove it wrong. The problem is is that few people think outside the box. That box could be the current fashion trends. Could be what is possible in RL – which is sort of silly to me. Could be what their current type of line is.

I fully admit that I’m at fault just as much as any other content creator is. It’s easy to fall into a routine/rut and usually takes a swift kick in the ass to get out of it. Hopefully this economic weirdness will do just that. Or you can continue to complain about it.

One thing that is needed along these lines is sharing ideas across social cliques and creative focus. I could probably ramble off for hours about the types of clothes I’d like to buy and still haven’t found. I sent 54 pictures of short hair styles to a hair creator who was in a mild slump. I doubt I’m alone in the crazy idea nebula of shit I can’t make.

5. The problem isn’t simply supply v demand, partly it is the copiers. The ones with no style or imagination of their own and have to copy what others have done. For a good 2 years I could glance at any advertisement and say without a doubt if it was my pose. Now, sometimes I’m not sure and have to look for the skin mesh/bone/joint breaks. 1 person makes x type of outfit, 100s of other scramble to make different versions of the same thing. It can happen so fast that everyone (including “reviewers”) forgets who did it first.

If everyone liked the same type of items life would be rather dull, but more importantly it would support the simplicity of supply v demand. People want what is new, hot and in the style they like. Freebies aren’t going to change that, no matter how good or how many there are.
Freebie Follow-Up « Bailey’s Reach
October 24th, 2008 @ 12:27

[...] how quickly people can jump to personally attack someone on their own blog. Yesterday two blogs, Ana’s and Prad’s started a discussion about freebies in SL. Now I don’t know Ana other [...]
GC Designs > Aquila (part 2): taking the noobness out « Gany’s take on (any) Life
October 24th, 2008 @ 20:49

[...] worth giving / getting? (a small collection of posts on this topic can be found here, here and here, the last link will lead you to AnaLutetia’s blog, and holds even more links) I know a lot of [...]
Ana Lutetia
October 25th, 2008 @ 10:04

1. Some people demand freebies from content creators but they don’t realize that the upload has a cost.
2. People criticize the quality of some freebies and send nasty IMs to creators.
3. If people pick every single freebie/dollarbie in the grid they will end up spending more L$ than if they would choose quality items.
4. People are choosing low prices over quality items.
5. Content creators are feeling pressure to release freebies/dollarbies due the market pressure.
6. Freebies/dollarbies are great for new residents to get started.
7. Freebies/dollarbies used to be special articles send to groups or loyal customers.
8. Freebies/dollarbies are a great way to drive traffic to a store.
9. The grid is overflowed with freebies/dollarbies/hunts/sales-for-no-reason.
10. I truly hope that this market trend will be inverted really soon or else we will have a decrease in quality items all over the grid.
Quaintly Tuqiri
October 25th, 2008 @ 10:12

I have posted about it on my blog too:
http://www.quirkyquaintly.com/2008/10/weighing-in.html
Ganymedes Costagravas
October 25th, 2008 @ 12:33

When I started SL almost 2 year ago now, freebies were “the way to go” for me, since I had no possible way to buy L$…
In fact: I only recently got a CC, so only as from November this year I’ll be able to actually buy my own L$.
I do have to mention that for the past 3 months I payed a friend € for them to upload as L$ and hand to me in-world, but I still spend cash “carefully”.
As a result, until a couple months ago, I either had to wait until I saved up the cash, by working in clubs or build and sell stuff on land of friends (where I also placed servers for webselling, and to this day I’m very grateful to those friends for getting that chance), or collect freebies, wait at lucky chairs and browse shops doing a sale.

I admit, I never IMd the people behind the freebies, but I was grateful they were around and it sometimes resulted in buying one of their normal items, if I had the cash.
So: besides for educational use, freebies were good things to search and get.

But that was then.

Now freebies are (generally) much better quality compared to when I started, and a lot more widely spread.
If “back then” I had 20 “nice” items from all the places I visited in a month, it was much.
Now, you can get more then 20 “nice” items… in a single day.

So I can totally agree with people saying there’s an overkill amount of freebies around, causing new residents these days to ignore what the shop actually has to offer.
And that’s not a good thing, since it may result in the closing of a good store.
That’s the last thing we want.

So, once in a while, it’s good to review what you’re selling.
Right now, I’ve deactivated all my items on OnRez and SLX, and am reviewing and remodelling my entire “brand”. And it’s not easy to pin what is worth keeping and what can be improved so it becomes worth keeping.
But one thing that seems to be very easy, is what to do with the stuff that is “not worth selling” anymore: according to the poll I placed with the blog entry I made on this, I should just delete them, and not put them up as freebies or place them in a lucky chair.
I can find myself in that.

There’s a RL business aspect that you won’t encounter fast in SL®: when something is out of stock, or has become outdated and no longer is produced, you can’t get it anymore. That doesn’t really happen “in general” here, only on special events… but it could be something to consider to do… perhaps give it a try with freebies?

In a nutshell:
I think freebies are not a bad thing, but I admit they’ve become available in a dangerously high amount when they don’t have any educational relevance, and should be used with better care.
Freebies should not stop to exist, but those non-educational ones (imho) should drop in number, and perhaps depending on what they are, how they’re made and who’s selling them, should become “a bit harder to get”.
One way is to reserve them for customers who actually spent L$, an other is to do just 1 or 2 freebies a month, you could place them at the back of your shop and fix a telehub so people have to cross your entire store, or perhaps just stick a limited available quantity on them (and maybe other items)
cat magellan
October 25th, 2008 @ 13:24

Having read all the comments and Gwyns’ 8-pages post about the economy in SL (i’m an economist and financial analyst in RL), here goes my 2 cents:

- I love freebies, treasure hunts, lucky chairs, you name it. They are fun, I discover news shops, sims, it’s a very nice pasttime in SL (90% of the items end up on the “trash can” but no matter)

- I’ve sent lots of people, newbies, to shops that hand out freebies, tell the to read freebies blogs, write about it on my blog, and I provide a place for changing clothes at my sim, since all girls need their privacy

- when i first came to SL (almost 2 years ago) I used freebies only, because i wanted to feel the place before start spending money on it; if I had some lindens i would tip the store, if not, a very big thanks! to the designer

Having said that, girls are girls and we like to look good, even on our virtual selves. So, I’ve started to buy stuff, Of course, from the shops i used to know; lets just say that, in 2 years, I’ve went from a freebie-items girls to someone that has a full inventory all paid by me (and yes, some of my favorites such as Last Call or DE, rarely give freebies away, so you don’t really need to give them away, if the quality is top, but you still need to find them, thus the merit of fashion blogs, as this one, and plus Ana doesnt get paid for all the work (so, stuff if, anomymous jalous viper!). On top of the inventory I needed a place to be private, so i’ve got a parcel, then a sim (non profitable, btw).

All this to say that some people will always be rude, some people will always complain about free stuff, some people will try to grab even what is not theirs (people used to be rude to Ana because she didnt let them enter her house!!!) And, in my personnal opinion, it’s not “some” people, but something like 90% of SL users…and its no use to try and explain this to them.

And some others will enjoy their freebies, thank them and get some paid-for stuff if and when. What will kill SL economy will be the RL economy crisis, when people start giving up SL stuff for the basic needs in RL.
cat magellan
October 25th, 2008 @ 13:35

Hving said that, I understand there may be a “surplus” of freebies on SL…but then again, the grid has grown a lot, competion is fierce and traders will fight with all the weapons they can, including those tons of freebies. However, I thing the freebie-clients that never spend a linden on a item, would never spend a linden on an item anyway. They do not have a “paying costumer” profile. They are in SL for fun and friends, to fight loneliness, or they are just plain poor and can not afford it: and some of these people are wonderful people. I think that the issue of bad manners and rudeness is very well adressed (although there is no solution for it) but the freebie culture is not vital for the economy.
Karla Scorbal
October 25th, 2008 @ 14:29

In my opinion the freebie culture will affect the SL economy, if it is not already happening.

I feel free to say this because I blog freebies and dollarbies in my blog (I’m one in a million of these blogs), I can’t afford to buy expensive items all the time because I don’t have much money and the camping isn’t worth it. In my case, it’s the only way to have some lindens and buy the items that I see and I think “ooohhhhh, it’s lovely” and only for those items I spend my few Lindens.

Lots of people demand these items because they don’t have any cash and they won’t make an effort to earn any L$. They simply join a group and ask: “Can anyone send me L$25, please, I have to pay the rent”.

My experience is too short in SL because my avatar was born 8 month ago, and the reason I’m in SL it’s because of Ana Lutetia, she introduction me to this reality. She is a nice person and I never heard brag about anything she blogs.

In this 8 months I already felt a difference in SL. Some days have so many hunts that it’s impossible to have fun, because I think I must hurry up if I want to do all the hunts and the consequence is that I leave my SL friends behind, because you spend the most of the time hunting.

This means that I’m not against freebies, dollarbies or hunts but they can use for a good proposal and in a moderate way.
Tomoyo
October 26th, 2008 @ 15:04

I would add some points:
1. Not everyone has an access to credit card or paypal. Some of us are students…

2. Yes I agree that there has been an onslaught of freebies these days… so much tt we have become desensitized and tired of it. But tt’s another topic altogether. My point is you don’t have to provide freebies just for the sake of it…
designers shld not feel complied to produce any. For me, these freebies is an indication of the designers’ talents. Especially for clothing stores with no demos. If the freebie is wonderful, I am more likely to return to the shop cause I know the other stuff will be the same quality, if not better.
I’m thankful for the freebies I’ve recieved cause it really made my SL life enjoyable especially on a limited budget.

3. I support the idea of review copies. Its kind of a payment to bloggers…since these blogs, including urs ana have directed me to some wonderful stores So what if there’s photoshopping to make it eye-catching? A nice outfit is a nice outfit.
Even in Sl magazines, there are fees for advertising, at least a few thousands L. Blogs are the best ways for small shops to promote themselves.

4. SL economy is linked to RL economy. With the current financial crisis everyone is tightening their belts come on… its likely to suffer too…

Just my 2 cents…
Ana Lutetia
October 26th, 2008 @ 17:05

awww… what a kind comment! I agree with you, Tomoyo. But even students can have jobs in-world or leave their avies camping.

I just have to disagree with you with one thing: some designers are feeling pushed to produce freebies.
GC Designs > Aquila (part 3): Freebie debate « Gany’s take on (any) Life
October 26th, 2008 @ 18:51

[...] GC Designs > Aquila (part 3): Freebie debate This is a copy/paste of my personal views on the current ongoing freebie debate a lot of people are having. More on this can be found on the blog of AnaLutetia. [...]
Nuno McCullough
October 28th, 2008 @ 14:28

I totally agree with Ana, this last month we found that is almost obliged to happen a treasure hunt at the grid everyday, more and more free-stuff blogs are being created and clients are no longer clients, they just arrive grab the item and go away, almost 95% of them do it like that. My suggestion? Well probably the old Adam’n’Eve system for 30 days Avatars or just to group members. Free stuff culture is devaluating more and more every business, it’s not only the L$ to upload, but the shop’ rents marketing costs and so on… I wonder when people will start to claim for free homes in the grid…
Sevenstar Amat
October 30th, 2008 @ 10:17

In the last days I was thinking a lot about this, and I must say, I really HATE this ugly grabbing mentality, where people tp in my shop and shout simewide “Where is that freeby! ?” as they dont see it immediatelly. I hate those hunts and grabbing more and more senceless stuff. I will not take part in hunts any more, also will not give out freebies, only as exclusiv groupgift sometimes-

My work as a designer and artist is more worth, then beeing part of this enourmous mountain of garbage, only given out to please and attract whom? brainless colectors of stuff, never understanding, never satisfying. I am NOT going to feed this mentality and I will activly do something agaist it. Set it out as a part of my shop policy and a clear declaration to my group.
Sevenstar Amat
October 30th, 2008 @ 10:33

p.s.

@ Karla Scorbal: who said you need expensive new stuff all the time? You are very fine with those skins and hairs you allready have. It´s also a very fine habbit paying designers who work hard of their stuff (like me and others…lol) from time to time, when there is really something nice and good you want to add to your invy. I am not talking about this hype, that make people empty and not part of the scene, when they do not have all those new releases, all the new stuff, everybody else seems to have.

Its just this stupid hype around us, making everybody feel as id we NEED this. We do not. And I am not giving out freebies any more.
Stuff that has no price is just a cheap thill, a short attraction for the moment. There is no sattisfaction in this.
And about “expensive” : I dont think that anything is really expensive in SL. Its just the ammount of stuff we gather and grab, that makes it ixpensive in summery.
As I work at least one day on a new release, often many more, I dont see any problem, if someone pays me this rediculously little SL amount, like lets say 125 L$ for a skirt. Its much less then an Euro (in my case, as I live in Europe) and I have an everege quote as 40 Euros per hour as a designer. I put all my qualities and artistical abilities into my designs, so why in the world should I give it for free to brainless colectors, to be burried in their overstuffed invenories. All this makes me really mad. Instead of writing one more blog about where to grab more free stuff that destroys the real business and real culture in SL, you guys should think abot to write something that makes real sence, and throwing a eye on all this what happens now in SL.
General Statment on “Freeby Culture”, Hunts and some kind of SL mentality « Sevenstarsworld’s Weblog
October 30th, 2008 @ 11:41

[...] http://analutetia.com/thoughts/freebie-culture-insl/ [...]
Schluss damit… - Die Freebie-Kultur in SL « Momo’s Blog
October 30th, 2008 @ 14:31

[...] http://analutetia.com/thoughts/freebie-culture-insl/ [...]
Challenges of a Virtual World « XD Fusion
December 30th, 2008 @ 09:38

[...] Second Life Links » Opinions about freebies’ effect on SL economy [...]
Entitlement « iheartsl.com Second Life’s largest community blog
May 4th, 2009 @ 21:51

[...] issue escalated when Faery Sola and Ziggy Quirk called for a ban on freebies. Something which Ana Lutetia and myself debated several months back. We had the foresight back then to see there were [...]
Entitlement : Metaversally Speaking..
May 6th, 2009 @ 21:41

[...] issue escalated when Faery Sola and Ziggy Quirk called for a ban on freebies. Something which Ana Lutetia and myself debated several months back. We had the foresight back then to see there were [...]
Father Jones
September 13th, 2009 @ 01:14

Any teenager can make a free account into the virtual world Second Life. In 2007, newspapers reported that Linden Lab had banned all gambling in Second Life. But now anno 2009 the opposite happened. There is now a form of UNREGULATED hardcore gambling going on with bingo-style games. Most popular one is called Zyngo. Any teenager and adult can freely gamble on those games. Too many people are losing too much money on ‘Zyngo’. And it is for sure a gambling game first class. Talking about too much money, I mean like people playing for 1000 USD in one hour. Did you guys ever searched for high roller places with Zyngo? You can play machines there for 5000 (17 USD)up to 50000 Linden Dollars (175 USD) a game, with pots to win up to 1 million Linden Dollars (3500 USD). I wonder when someone will have the guts to bring this to the right people, the press, the financial company’s Linden Lab is depending on, and also of course the US government,… There are lots of ‘casino’s’ in Second Life made for making huge money, not just the money you need to buy you a pair of shoes, a piece of land and a house to live in your virtual world. Millions of dollars are running around in this gamblingbusiness on Second Life. Anyone doubting my words: just take a look yourself inworld (look for Zyngo in the searchtool).
Ana Lutetia
September 13th, 2009 @ 16:06

I can’t see how this comment is related to the freebie culture inSL… but thanks for stopping by!