Op/Ed: Linden Lab – Play Fair and Stop Spamming Us!
by Alphaville Herald on 02/02/09 at 6:39 pm
by Sitearm Madonna
The spam ads sent to the secondLife@email.secondlife.com Email List are an outrage.
Linden Lab just sold its avatar accounts confidential email list to a commercial retail sales organization without asking our permission or giving us an option to Opt Out. The fact that the commercial retail sales organization is NOW owned by Linden Lab makes no difference. Confidential email lists are just that, confidential.
By giving away confidential email lists, Linden Lab has given an explicit commercial advantage to retailers who belong to XStreet and pay Linden Lab a commission on each sale. Now, retailers who decline to use Linden Lab XStreet and pay Linden Lab a commission are at an unfair market disadvantage.
At the least, Linden Lab should re-level the playing field by either putting ALL SL Retailers on XStreet automatically and immediately, or some other step to restore fairness such as ONLY sending emails to avatar accounts which already registered on XStreet.
I am OK if LL wants a percent of sales as long as the retailers get to choose to participate or not.
I am OK if LL wants to send email ads to people who've already registered to buy stuff on XStreet as long as they get to choose to receive them or not.
BUT retailers and consumers who do not choose to use XStreet should be left alone, un-spammed and un-forced to pay Linden Lab to stay in a fair market.
We all want Linden Lab to stay in business so that we can continue to enjoy what is still the leading edge virtual worlds platform in the world today. The spam ads are a symptom of Linden Lab's 'growing pains' as it continues to morph from a small research firm to a large enterprise.
Hopefully Linden Lab will adjust quickly to this latest issue and continue to listen to its supporters.
Sophia
Feb 2nd, 2009
Your absolutely right! That is like they sold our emails. I received a solicitation from Xstreet from LL. That’s pretty much selling our emails commercially and allowing us to be spammed.
I’ve been staying away from SL for a bit because I have just kind of had it with …with ..hmm all of it. Weekends are impossible. so I wait for down times but those down times are my private rl times and so I’m not finding time for sl right now.
I’m very disappointed in its performance and management right now and also some of the creepiness that’s coming out of it. I’ve hit that bump in the road I guess where I’m not enjoying myself. Bored basically with the grid because it just stinks.
so I’m taking a break but I saw that and did think about the email they sold us out. Is that against the rules lol?
Sophia~
Eva Ryan
Feb 2nd, 2009
Ummm, yes, there is an Opt-Out option.. it’s a wee bit small down at the bottom of the emails sent.
Maggie Darwin
Feb 2nd, 2009
Um…the only email I got was *from* Linden Research.
So I don’t see how you can claim any information was sold or private data given away. LL sent out their own email announcing and promoting their acquisition.
If you don’t want promos you can opt out now. In fact as I recall you’re offered the choice when you create your account.
Arwyn Quandry
Feb 3rd, 2009
-You’re- outraged? You? Really? How do you think I felt about getting an email about a service that I can’t even use! I felt almost like they were teasing me, holding it over my head and taunting “Naaah nah naaah nah naaaaaah nah, you can’t have it!” It was irritating as a Teen Grid resident to get more info on it since I’m not able to even use it in my world.
Prokofy Neva
Feb 3rd, 2009
Sitearm, you seem confused on a number of points.
Linden Lab bought out XStreetSL completely. It did not “sell our emails” to some third party. It *bought out* that third party and is now spamming us *itself* with ads for using that formerly-independent shopping service.
It comes as an unpleasant shock because unlike There.com and other games, Linden Lab never, ever pushess emails to us hawking new products.
So I suppose it’s like any other service, like typepad.com or whatever, when you sign up, you can opt out of the company’s own spam.
What I hate about it is that this takeover represents only those businesses on it. So LL is using its considerable PR clout to hawk only these merchants who signed up to sell on XStreet. So basically, I suppose what you’re saying, but the Lindens need to build up the cash flows, I guess
Sophia
Feb 3rd, 2009
Yes LL purchased those two markets of course knowing their reasons were only financially strategically motivated. It’s a business. Yes I realize its LL sending the emails. But think of it that was their intention to get control of the markets to prosper. Typical business move.
I guess how I can say how I feel about this whole game now is that its becoming a bit boring for me. SL is in a slump now and I can’t waste my time I guess. I’ll follow along and just not take it all to seriously any more.
I’m up and down with all the news and changes and deceptions. Laying low for now and watching the new SL unfold. Weekends in SL r a joke just a waste of time. I still enjoy going in during the weekdays when the numbers are down so I can do what I want to do and then get out. Have other hobbies and obligations to keep me busy.
I know its a what you make of it kind of thing but its crap right now. So while they work thru this transition I am not going to waste another 2 years wading thru their experiments. RL comes first so I will look to the the blogs or articles now for to keep informed.
This has been a really ruff winter to say the least with sicknesses and storms so my frustration level is at its highest. Touchy you know. So best to stay away for a bit for me. I’ve been weaning myself from SL and it isn’t that hard to tell you the truth. I wish them success but I don’t trust the company.
So I’ll just be watching for news in places like this and on other blogs.
Sophia~
Sigmund Leominster
Feb 3rd, 2009
On the upside, when I get a spam message from XStreet telling me I can now have a larger penis, it’s true!
Pardonme Roy
Feb 3rd, 2009
I loved how the promotional banner on the home page secondlife.com linked me to the home page of XStreet, which prominently and graphically displayed as a “featured item” the Gorean Examination Table. Doesn’t seem that Linden Lab minds that association any more, with any new visitor to secondlife.com seeing what Linden Lab chooses to feature in its store!
Eva Ryan
Feb 3rd, 2009
“On the upside, when I get a spam message from XStreet telling me I can now have a larger penis, it’s true!
Posted by: Sigmund Leominster | February 03, 2009 at 10:10 AM”
On the downside, whenever I get spam from Xstreet, I invariably run out of bread.
Sophia
Feb 4th, 2009
OK OK does anyone have a joint?! And did I spell that right I’m so confused!!! What shall I do ??? Did I spell that right?
Any how I’m still disenchanted and all thatok so no one is going to convince me other wise ok ya hear. lol ok so the deal here is I’m laying low ok and I’ll be watching you all.
hehehe serious I’m watching you all.(fingers touring) But not to much because I’m tired of babysitting and if you mess up well your on your own.
Ok I will report in when I feel it’s important to do so ok. Just be prepared ok..there’s more there and here (heheh)than you know and well wooopzy doodle yes sir ree more is coming to the the tree be prepared because there will be more people ready to rip off thee….see you wont see it when its coming but later it will hit you like a oh it happened to me?
not waittng ok….This is a real place to watch and see and hold for a bit because it may just get a bit more interesting not from the pl;ayers but from the owners themselves.
May they think wise and long and well from an old wise man who has been there …don’t think that today is wonderful and will set them in their way for life and that they wiil not be affected in the future which they may not but it will follow them down the road and they should keep close watch on their ideas and the people they choose because it will effect many of their friends they will revisit in the future. Take it from an old one who has been there.
Who takes over the this well empire is taking on a life time of a legend. What you do now will follow you for ever like all of us and I wish you the best but please think of the original vision and incorporate it into your god I hate to say the word once again “the vision” which is becoming old to. So what I’m saying is yes sl needs a face left and we all know it but be fare and lets works together and I’m standing on the out filed for now i just have to observe basically. i know whats going on but have to see the whole picture before I cant present anything to anyone. SL Keep going and I’ll just observe and continiue on…
sophia~~
Yup its late and Im tired and its been the how many storms I’ve been thru…lost count so yeeehaw snow shoe’s ..fit me for them and ”’im heading out to LA or forget that I’m heading up to Maine the snow is just as fine ok so you can have it I’m going for a retreat!
Ok ready for bed and thats all folks!
Sophia~
Heading to bed oh la de da
Sophia
Feb 4th, 2009
Can’t we at least have the edit option? I’m ready to hit the coast so I wont be around but will try and read….
yikes!
Sophia~
Ready to hit the ocean retreat for a nice quiet time~ or maybe hmm mountain retreat lol depends on the product (who wants the history most)I have and its really history !!! Isn’t that cool!
I need this big time!
Sophia!
Heading out um in a week lol
Anonymous
Feb 4th, 2009
god you people are reactionaries.
kill yourselves.
react on that please.
Vince de la Faggot
Feb 4th, 2009
What’s even funnier is that I’ve been permabanned from both sites, and they still send me those emails. I can’t change it either.
Archie
Feb 10th, 2009
This is illegal In the UK, GB, Old Blighty, Britain.
Quote: Linden Lab just sold its avatar accounts confidential email list to a commercial retail sales organization without asking our permission or giving us an option to Opt Out: Un-Qoute.
Its about time California caught up
Jantje
Mar 12th, 2009
“We all want Linden Lab to stay in business so that we can continue to enjoy what is still the leading edge virtual worlds platform in the world today.”
Not me. I have spend incredible much energy and money in SL. LL only gave multiple heavy blows to the long stayers in SL.
I really hope LL/SL will loose from Opensim as soon as possible.
Sylvia Sonoda
Aug 27th, 2009
I Have tried three times to “unsubscribe” the promotional e-mails from Linden Lab as they give this option in each mail they send. All three times I got confirmation that I was removed from the “promotional email list”. But Linden Lab (arrogant company of the century indiots) keep sending me “promotional emails” including the not working opt-out option. GRRRRRRRRR
Long live Opensim development.