Tag Archives: Linden Labs

The Linden dollar exchange disaster?

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Yesterday Linden Labs closed its Exchange Affiliate programme, meaning that the hitherto simple task of paying with Paypal seems to have been discontinued. I had no idea that this was something that was going to happen. Apparently, the LindeX exchange is now the only way to do it…

 

I tried to go onto Lindex, only to discover that the only option is to buy in US$ (unless I’m missing something). I don’t want to buy in US$, for the simple reason that I would fully expect my bank to slap on a transaction fee for US$ to £ exchange. It’s not just £’s. There doesn’t seem to be an option to buy in any other currency other than dollars.

lindex

 

I can merrily muddle on in SL for…ooh…weeks, maybe months yet with what L$ I have. I don’t own a house. I’ve no rent to pay. But imagine, this morning, that your rent is due and you intended to buy some L$ in pounds, euros, yen…whatever. Are you stuck? From what I can see, yes. Might you lose your house if you’re not going to be able to pay your rent (unless you make payment in US$ and accept the bank charges likely to be applied.lindens2

A couple of clicks with my Paypal account used to see the virtual currency land in my inworld presence in a couple of minutes, followed buy a rubbing of the hands and a shopping  spree. I would have done something similar this morning, but now I’ll be watching my remaining L$ like a hawk until what seems to me like a fairly serious problem is fixed in some way. Or perhaps I will decide not to engage further with the Second Life economy and simply limit my purchases to freebies and group gifts. Is this really the way forward that Linden Labs envisage? Is it what I want. No, would be the answer in both cases I think.

The previous, Paypal system wasn’t broken. It didn’t need fixing.

Are Linden Labs hell-bent on wrecking their invention? Each step forward seems to be accompanied by two steps back. Am I missing something? Is there any way in which I can buy some L$ with a £ paypal account? If I can’t, does anyone have any indication how much my bank is likely to charge me?

 

Ella

 

edited to add… I’ve also tried Virwox, which does offer £’s exchange, but their website offers the following message…

virwox
I don’t exist! 😦

The way Linden Labs mess around with their invention, it would rather seem they don’t want any of us to exist. Another poorly thought out Linden Lab disaster!

Naked motorcycling

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I hope you were reading yesterday’s SLN and took the advice I offered in this post. I’ve got up and logged in this morning to find a shiny new bike has been delivered to me, courtesy of Turlaccor’s Midnight Mania (yes, the deal’s still on…run here now). It was just like Christmas morning!

And of course the first thing I decided to do, life-on-the-edge daredevil that I am, was to unbox it, fill it up with petrol and take it for a naked spin on the race track at their sim. I’ve driven cars in SL, done a lot of cycling in SL, but this was the first time I’d ridden a motorcycle and it was a fantastic experience. With each experience of the pixelated internal combustion engine in SL I take the view that isn’t it about time SL/Linden Labs tweaked the grid, joined up the road infrastructure and allowed rezzing points on, at least, the mainland, so that any of us could rezz a bike or a car and use it as we might in RL? I don’t mean all of us need to motorcycle naked, but surely we should be able to rezz our bike or car, drive it to the mall, get out, do some shopping and then drive it home (or to another place) again? What do you think? Might Linden Labs enhance the SL experience with joined up thinking regarding a joined up transport infrastructure?

pookes bike_001b pookes bike2_001b

 

I can honestly say that this is by far the best Midnight Mania prize I’ve ever received, so many thanks to all at Turlaccor for their generosity. I know I, and probably the rest of us at SLN, are going to have enormous fun with this item in photographs during the coming days.

But that’s not all! This morning I’ve received a group notice from the group regarding this…

striptease motorbike

 

…. a ‘Striptease Premium’ bike complete with animations. We shall investigate this item and perhaps bring you a report on it in the near future 😉

But let’s get back to my bike, briefly, before I head off for a spin again. I noticed at the race track that the best lap times were 20 odd seconds. I took 103 seconds to complete my lap! 🙂 In my defence, I’ve not motorcycled before and, well, riding naked, I certainly didn’t want to be falling off at speed! 🙂

Pookes

Enlightened Linden Labs

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I picked up this story from London’s Independent newspaper, which reports that a kind of Second Life game for Nintendo, sporting little avatars that look like 8-bit computer inventions less sophisticated than Mario. It appears that gay relationships are outlawed/banned/discouraged…take your pick.

 

Tye Marini, a gay 23-year-old Nintendo fan from Arizona in the US, launched a ‘Miiquality’ campaign to protest against the exclusion of same-sex relationships in the game.

In Tomodachi Life players are encouraged to create avatars that mirror their friends and family in real life.
“I want to be able to marry my real-life fiance’s Mii, but I can’t do that,” Mr Marini told the Associated Press. “My only options are to marry some female Mii, to change the gender of either my Mii or my fiance’s Mii or to completely avoid marriage altogether and miss out on the exclusive content that comes with it.”

Mr Marini noted that the inclusion of same-sex relationships was more important for Tomodachi Life as the game was intened to be a “representation of your real life”.

“You import your personalised characters into the game. You name them. You give them a personality. You give them a voice. They just can’t fall in love if they’re gay,” he said.

Note that: You give them a personality. You give them a voice.

Which is precisely what we do with our SL avatars.

Yes, we’ve all had reason to moan and bitch about Linden Labs in the past, and will probably do so in the future, but hats off to them for allowing/permitting/encouraging (take your pick) SL to accurately reflect RL.

Yes, I know there are technological issues involved in making SL readily available (graphically) through smartphones. It’s  a shame that it hasn’t happened because, if it were possible, I reckon SL would be the pick of any virtual reality worlds and that people would be deserting other platforms in their droves to come to SL. Simply because it accurately reflects the wide range of sexuality that exists in RL.

So, bravo Linden Labs!

ringo and cecil_001b

 

A couple of my SL gay friends, Ringo and Cecil, demonstrate their love for each other.

It’s 2014. We don’t really need to inhabit a world -real or virtual- which has a pre-1960s, mid-20th century, mindset, do we? If it’s none of your concern (and the sexuality of others should never be any of our concern if it’s between consenting adults) don’t go there. And don’t try to impose your mindset on others.

Ella.