Up until recently, because of the new pricing and terms on void simulator packages in Second Life, the USS (United Sailing Sims), a collection of sailing groups that hold a large amount of Second Life territory were planning to ... well ... "jump ship" as some of them put it, and move their operations out of Linden Lab's virtual world.
Linden Lab has now announced the creation of a set of ocean sims (called the Blake Sea), connected to the mainland, and cost-free relocation for the rather large number of USS simulators to connect to that. Several USS members (who declined to be named) made us aware of the impending announcement two weeks ago, telling us that Linden Lab were going to make these changes in order to prevent the combined groups from defecting to alternatives such as opensim.
Linden Lab has not responded to inquiries about the matter. A number of people consider it rank favoritism. Perhaps it is -- but is it important if it is or not?
Probably only if you are one of the hundreds of estate owners who are not getting something similar.
For years, Second Life users have called on Linden Lab to "start behaving like a real business", by which most of them meant that Linden Lab should be willing to bend policy and go the extra mile to please their customers. But real businesses are rarely concerned with being caring, thoughtful, and considerate -- they're concerned with doing things that benefit the business.
Putting the business first is the first rule of actually staying in business. Many of the business' decisions will also benefit the customers -- because you don't have a business without them -- but being in business is a mutually parasitic relationship. Both the customer and the business try to gain maximum advantage and value from the other, but typically it's an unbalanced arrangement. If the customers kill the business, they can move on to another business. If the business kills the customers, it's gone.
So, whether or not the Lab's decision constitutes favoritism or bias is really a bit of a non-starter. By virtue of actually remaining in business, the majority of decisions the Lab makes need to benefit the Lab in some direct or indirect way, either financially or in public relations (because PR can be turned into financial benefit). Partnerships (strategic and tactical), promotional deals, value-adds, and other special arrangements are the meat and drink of almost every successful corporation that you care to name.
In one stroke, the Lab gets to keep one of its most populous groups from jumping ship to an alternative, and adds value to their long-troubled mainland estate (a large priority with the Lab at the moment). That's got to look good as a decision-making factor. Numerous other groups might be eligible, but obviously don't meet the necessary value-criteria that make it worthwhile for the Lab to offer a similar deal.
What is nice is that what is being done is up-front and on the blog. Would you prefer under-the-table, secret deals? Or would you prefer that the Lab feels confident enough to stick by its guns and make open announcements -- even if you are not the lucky recipient of the Lab's largesse?
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