Fleep Unloads: A Leading SL Educator Objects To Linden Zoning Announcement

"Because of my professional work in Second Life," writes Fleep Tuque, a very well-known educator and community organizer in Second Life, "it is very rare that I publicly discuss my frustrations."  But the recent zoning regulation announcement from the Lindens has raised Ms. Tuque's ire enough to impel her to do just that on her blog, hammering out an open letter to Jack Linden, the company's land manager.  Her essential complaint (as I read it) is this: community leaders like her find Linden enforcement of existing land policies to be so inconsistent and sporadic, news of even more stringent regulations inspires not reassurance, but further worry.  Instead, she proposes five land management goals for the company in lieu (or in addition to) these coming regulations.  Considering Ms. Tuque's reputation, it's an opinion worth considering; it's also in stark contrast to my reader poll about the regulations, over 70% of whom deemed them a good idea.  It's a conundrum I'll be watching as the new zoning laws are crafted-- are they generally supported by large landowners/managers who have the most at stake? Image credit: fleeep.net

Comments

[Corcosman Voom]

"Do what you say you will do. Consistently. Across the board. In a timely manner. Quit making special deals with residents who are friends of Lindens at the expense of those of us who don’t cultivate insider relationships."

The entire letter is worth reading but this caught my eye. With only one year under my belt, I hear all too often from older residents about some Lab employees cutting special deals. It reduces the entire enterprise and a portion of the operators (Lab employees) to the level of chintzy rip off artists. I suppose it is to be expected, given the fraility of human nature, but it still stinks to high heaven.

[cyn vandeverre]

I do think that zoning is a good idea, but I rather assumed that impartial and regular enforcement was part of the implied package. If instead zoning means, as Ms. Tuque theorizes, more rules and no enforcement, that's a different problem entirely.