Linden Lab (http://lindenlab.com) makers of virtual world Second Life ™ (http://www.secondlife.com) stated the reason for a new fashion microsite built by the company exclusively for 1 of their content creators.
The stated reason for the microsite is that it was done purely “out of the goodness of our hearts” (read quote).
The pages (http://s3.amazonaws.com/products.shop.secondlife.com/agni/fashion/index.html) have ingited a firestorm (https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/09/23/hi-res-high-fashion) amongst Second Life ™ based content creators because while the makers of the virtual world state impartiality in regards to their users, experience varies. The company has long been accused of nepotism by granting special favors, advance information, and superior features to certain users (http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/07/here-they-are-the-fic-26.html) groups, and blogs. Read more statemements about this latest venture at (https://support.secondlife.com/ics/support/). Even Prokofy, who usually steers clear of fashion drama, has referred to the offerings as “unimaginative slutwear” (http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/10/the-lindens-do-a-fic-thing-again.html) LOL.
Meanwhile, the company is also being sued by some of its content creators (http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2009/09/virtual-goods-designers-sue-second-life-over-copycat-sales.html) and (http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/09/linden)full .pdf document at (http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/threatlevel/2009/09/linden.pdf) for allegedly profiting from copied virtual goods.
An equivalent situation could be considered if Apple computer, which protects its iTunes music files with a digital rights management system, allowed its users to download songs from major record labels, then upload them again using the user’s name as the song’s original creator, and then sell those copies profiting both the company and the infringing user. Users who complain about content infringement have been banned (http://www.your2ndplace.com/node/1601), increasing the suspicion and furor.
The company recently obscured reference and links to the “economic statistics” page (http://secondlife.com/statistics/economy-data.php) and users “still cant figure out whether the SL economy is doing well or not” (https://blogs.secondlife.com/message/17131#17131).” But many argue that it is tanking (http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/09/hows-the-sl-economy-stupids.html) .
Needless to say, users are as livid (http://www.your2ndplace.com/node/1603) and (https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/09/23/hi-res-high-fashion) as this avatar looks from the front page of Linden Lab’s site (http://lindenlab.com).
The fiasco continues to mushroom, with the company referring users to a Twitter feed (https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/09/23/hi-res-high-fashion#comment-768155) for information on “applying to the next Lookbook“. I guess the “goodness of our hearts” was a limited time offer.
Employees of the company have also issued threats against it’s own creators over the past months (http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/07/i-will-delete-you-immediately.html) and (https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/workinginworld) in an increasingly uncivil and unprofessional exchange (http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/07/).
Is this what Philip Rosedale (Philip Linden) meant at the Second Life Community Convention (SLCC09) (http://slconvention.ning.com/) when he effectively said and later blogged (https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/09/09/thoughts-from-burning-man) “You might not like what’s coming” ?
