Open Form: What Are The Best Blog Posts On The Openspaces Pricing Controversy?

Friday is the day I highlight remarkable posts around the Second Life blogosphere, but the trouble is, nearly all of it seems devoted to the Openspace pricing controversy.  The day the turmoil started, Vint Falken counted over forty posts on the subject, and in the several days since, that number has probably tripled, possibly quadrupled. 

Rather than create a massive list of them, I want to feature a handful of the very best today, the ones which convey the issues and the conflict, the stakes involved, and what it all means for Second Life's future.  Please help me out by posting URLs in the Comments, preferably with an excerpt or summary, too.  (Yes, you can nominate your own blog.)

Image: Openspace sim Athan, taken by Liquer Felix, found on the Flickr Openspace stream.  (Direct SLURL teleport to Athan at this link.)

Comments

[Ann Otoole]

I went in a different direction for a different sort of conspiracy theory (after all these are all conspiracy theories since none of us were there when the decisions were made) but the presence of someone viewing my blog is usually the result of being given bad directions by drunk cowboys in a Georgia swamp so nobody ever goes there. Here is the link for your viewer's amusement.

http://annotoole.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/ramifications-of-intrigue-influence/

However my vote has to go with Prok for this one:
http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2008/10/painpoint.html

I laughed painfully all the way through it.

[Nika Dreamscape]

I nominate Podmafia Podcast for standing out and being the only podcast to date (that I know of) to discuss the Openspace issue. You can listen to the podcast on the website at the following link:

http://slpodcast.net/2008/10/podmafia-69-openspace-catastrophe/

[radar]

My view is that yes, it was bungled, no, the Lindens are not out to slaughter the masses, and people are just flipping OUT and acting like loons in reaction to poor policy making and communication by LL.

http://radarmasukami.com/2008/10/30/stuarts-right/

http://radarmasukami.com/2008/10/29/the-devill-made-me-do-it/

http://radarmasukami.com/2008/10/27/openspace-in-your-face/

Feel free to ignore me, the people who don't wish for moderation in reaction to this certainly will ;)

[Dana Bergson]

let me throw this hat in your ring:
http://otherland.blogs.com/group/2008/10/linden-lab-revamps-pricing-for-openspaces-insults-residents.html?cid=137152713#comments

Summary: I don' believe in conspiracies when simple incompetence is sufficient to explain and event. Incompetence frightens me more, though :(

RaR has a good one (a lil more emotional than I would phrase it), too:
http://rezzable.com/blog/rightasrain-rimbaud/linden-lab-betrays-consumer-market

/me smiles

[Alex]

Here are ALL significant links to posts in a chronological order: http://yolto.com/FeedTopic.aspx?Id=2014

[Harper Ganesvoort]

At the risk of sounding like I'm tooting my own (virtual) horn, I'm tempted to say the best post so far has been either mine, or (in fact) yours, Ham. I know you're approaching it as a news item, and I'm trying to do the same thing. I am a touch annoyed at Linden Lab for doing this, but it's more because of the unfairness of laying the increase on everyone, not just the ones who are abusing the system; I don't own an Openspace region (and haven't planned on it), and that lets me step back and also approach it more dispassionately.

But, if I was to suggest someone beyond us two, I'd say it's Nexeus Fatale's article. Yeah, his opinion, that the price hike will be good in the long run, sure won't be popular, but his points are intriguing!

[Nightflower]

/me pokes her head in, starts to raise her hand, sees all the high-profile people, and runs off.

She leaves this note on the floor: www.nightflowerblossoming/typepad.com

[Opensource Obscure]

'Which hurts SL more?' by Vlad Bjornson
http://www.shiny-life.com/2008/10/31/which-hurts-sl-more

[Doubledown Tandino]

Morris Vig over at www.secondarts.com

He pretty much has the same opinion as I do on the matter. Yeah, it sucks. But what did you expect? So, quit yer bitching because it is not effective.

[Corcosman Voom]

Thanks to Harper for the link to Nexeus' blog post. Perhaps one of the most sensible (for me, anyway) things I have seen on the matter is the comment there by Joshe Darkstone.

It "connects the dots" of the recent history of moves regarding land by the Lab and takes into account the development of OpenSim alternatives as well as Mole work on new mainland and frames the price change as a conscious business decision. They knew exactly what they were doing.

To me, that makes much more sense than the "left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing" or "we had no idea people would actually use those prims" ideas.

The Lab is a business functioning in uncharted territory by going without the "subscription only" user base. They are not a charity. They have to take their best shot at maximizing their current income in case of future financial downturns or unforeseen expenditures or we all go poof.

[StoneSemyorka]

I took a look and found Openspace sim Athan to be a beautiful, well thought out island simulation that is very reminiscent of the graphics in the adventure video game Myst. There are books, maps, charts, paintings, diagrams, tapestries, cases, fireballs, enigmatic objects, doors to mysterious hallways, and even the old wooden skiff Blackspot.

There are some head-scratching objects such as a cage with the Italian name of La Signora di Pazienza.

I discovered that it will be home to the School of Roke, inspired by the Earthsea novels and short stories by American fantasy and science fiction novelist U.K.Le Guin.

Alia Baroque did a great job on this simulation.

--Stone

[Hamlet Au]

Thanks for exploring moar, Stone!

[Crap Mariner]

http://ordinalmalaprop.com/engine/2008/10/28/shouting-into-the-void/

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