Linden Lab targets Second Life ad farms with zoning regulations

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:15:05 -0700

Second Life may be getting more real by the day. In a post on the Second Life blog on Monday, Jack Linden describes the Linden Lab plan to better regulate the Mainland, the section of virtual land that's managed directly by Linden Lab itself. With the implementation of a Department of Public Works, Second Life residents were alerted to a Linden Lab that wants to be more involved and regulate more of the user experience.

The new plan is still vague, but seems to center on the concept of zoning. One of the most frequent user complaints is the proliferation of ad farms in-world where a virtual world parcel is filled with nothing but ads for other in-world businesses, and the post suggests that Linden Lab will take steps to control what is viewed by many in Second Life to be akin to an adult bookstore moving in next door.

Comments on the move by members of the SLUniverse Forums run the gamut from skepticism to outrage to optimism. The general feeling, however, seems to be that of a community hearing that a homeowners' association (HOA) is going to run the neighborhood. Forum member lily joliat is concerned about the possibility of rezoning virtual land already owned:

"How is that any different then having someone buy land next to me and screwing with my existing view? Or should I trust that the Lindens will keep it nice?"

Member Vialli Rossini is even more skeptical, feeling the changes are more of a business move for Linden Lab than anything else:

"This sounds very much like 'churning business' to me. But in the main companies tend to churn another companies customer base...in this case it seems LL are going to churn their own customers!! Incredible........dump zoned mainland on the grid, devalue existing mainland.......people dump their land quick and grab a piece of the new.....churn succesful!!

"Resident numbers are not going up...so how do LL get more juice out of the lemon?"

Kurt Ludd, however, is more optimistic about the proposal:

"I would not want it to be zoned all Residential or all commercial...However I do agree that Adfarms should go...We have a few plots in the surrounding Sims but not really bad...But have seen some really ugly Sims because of them...I am hopeful that SL will step in and help make the Mainland better."

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Prediction: Apple opens a store in Second Life
Prediction: Second Life usage will not break 40 million user hours per month by the end of 2008
Analysis: Will Martian water discovery fuel interest in sci-fi Blue Mars world?
Analysis: Contacting Gen Y the Web 2.0 way

Linden Lab targets Second Life ad farms with zoning regulations

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:15:05 -0700

"How is that any different then having someone buy land next to me and screwing with my existing view? Or should I trust that the Lindens will keep it nice?"

Member Vialli Rossini is even more skeptical, feeling the changes are more of a business move for Linden Lab than anything else:

"This sounds very much like 'churning business' to me. But in the main companies tend to churn another companies customer base...in this case it seems LL are going to churn their own customers!! Incredible........dump zoned mainland on the grid, devalue existing mainland.......people dump their land quick and grab a piece of the new.....churn succesful!!

"Resident numbers are not going up...so how do LL get more juice out of the lemon?"

Kurt Ludd, however, is more optimistic about the proposal:

"I would not want it to be zoned all Residential or all commercial...However I do agree that Adfarms should go...We have a few plots in the surrounding Sims but not really bad...But have seen some really ugly Sims because of them...I am hopeful that SL will step in and help make the Mainland better."

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Prediction: Apple opens a store in Second Life
Prediction: Second Life usage will not break 40 million user hours per month by the end of 2008
Analysis: Will Martian water discovery fuel interest in sci-fi Blue Mars world?
Analysis: Contacting Gen Y the Web 2.0 way

Linden Lab targets Second Life ad farms with zoning regulations

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:15:05 -0700

"How is that any different then having someone buy land next to me and screwing with my existing view? Or should I trust that the Lindens will keep it nice?"

Member Vialli Rossini is even more skeptical, feeling the changes are more of a business move for Linden Lab than anything else:

"This sounds very much like 'churning business' to me. But in the main companies tend to churn another companies customer base...in this case it seems LL are going to churn their own customers!! Incredible........dump zoned mainland on the grid, devalue existing mainland.......people dump their land quick and grab a piece of the new.....churn succesful!!

"Resident numbers are not going up...so how do LL get more juice out of the lemon?"

Kurt Ludd, however, is more optimistic about the proposal:

"I would not want it to be zoned all Residential or all commercial...However I do agree that Adfarms should go...We have a few plots in the surrounding Sims but not really bad...But have seen some really ugly Sims because of them...I am hopeful that SL will step in and help make the Mainland better."

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Prediction: Apple opens a store in Second Life
Prediction: Second Life usage will not break 40 million user hours per month by the end of 2008
Analysis: Will Martian water discovery fuel interest in sci-fi Blue Mars world?
Analysis: Contacting Gen Y the Web 2.0 way

Linden Lab targets Second Life ad farms with zoning regulations

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:15:05 -0700

"How is that any different then having someone buy land next to me and screwing with my existing view? Or should I trust that the Lindens will keep it nice?"

Member Vialli Rossini is even more skeptical, feeling the changes are more of a business move for Linden Lab than anything else:

"This sounds very much like 'churning business' to me. But in the main companies tend to churn another companies customer base...in this case it seems LL are going to churn their own customers!! Incredible........dump zoned mainland on the grid, devalue existing mainland.......people dump their land quick and grab a piece of the new.....churn succesful!!

"Resident numbers are not going up...so how do LL get more juice out of the lemon?"

Kurt Ludd, however, is more optimistic about the proposal:

"I would not want it to be zoned all Residential or all commercial...However I do agree that Adfarms should go...We have a few plots in the surrounding Sims but not really bad...But have seen some really ugly Sims because of them...I am hopeful that SL will step in and help make the Mainland better."

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Prediction: Apple opens a store in Second Life
Prediction: Second Life usage will not break 40 million user hours per month by the end of 2008
Analysis: Will Martian water discovery fuel interest in sci-fi Blue Mars world?
Analysis: Contacting Gen Y the Web 2.0 way

Linden Lab targets Second Life ad farms with zoning regulations

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:15:05 -0700

"How is that any different then having someone buy land next to me and screwing with my existing view? Or should I trust that the Lindens will keep it nice?"

Member Vialli Rossini is even more skeptical, feeling the changes are more of a business move for Linden Lab than anything else:

"This sounds very much like 'churning business' to me. But in the main companies tend to churn another companies customer base...in this case it seems LL are going to churn their own customers!! Incredible........dump zoned mainland on the grid, devalue existing mainland.......people dump their land quick and grab a piece of the new.....churn succesful!!

"Resident numbers are not going up...so how do LL get more juice out of the lemon?"

Kurt Ludd, however, is more optimistic about the proposal:

"I would not want it to be zoned all Residential or all commercial...However I do agree that Adfarms should go...We have a few plots in the surrounding Sims but not really bad...But have seen some really ugly Sims because of them...I am hopeful that SL will step in and help make the Mainland better."

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Prediction: Apple opens a store in Second Life
Prediction: Second Life usage will not break 40 million user hours per month by the end of 2008
Analysis: Will Martian water discovery fuel interest in sci-fi Blue Mars world?
Analysis: Contacting Gen Y the Web 2.0 way