Your2ndPlace

I haven't had my eyes tested since 1986, browsing the main page tonight suggests to me that maybe it's about time I got them checked again. They have different pictures on the page, the one tonight shows a couple with their arms wrapped around each other with a caption of "Build your dream house! Get Land", which I read as "Build your dream house! Get Laid". Almost spat my tea out.

This week has been trying, I was at Robin Linden's hastily arranged office hour when I asked if she'd heard about the Bear Infohub war and whoosh, my computer died. Naturally I blamed Robin and her wonder woman like powers for this, being the rational human being that I am. One very interesting development from that office hour was talk of being able to have dual names for your avatar. For example I could have Ciaran Laval and my real name (which is Top Secret). I like this idea, although I'll have to check the fine print. Currently this proposal is in the design stage.

So now I'm stuck with Vista and Windows Live mail, I liked my XP and I liked my Outlook Express. All I get told is "You should have bought a Mac".

Anyway onto my main point. I was embroiled in a drunken debate last night on the official forums about where the responsibilities of a buyer lie when purchasing a second hand island. Generally any post midnight GMT thread I'm embroiled in on a Friday or Saturday night is a drunken debate but I digress.

The crux of the issue was whether a buyer should find out how the land lies, ask the seller for details on outstanding tier or parcel purchases, or whether the buyer has no such responsibility. It quickly became apparent that there are two trains of thought on this, one side believe that the buyer should make inquiries regarding these issues and then begotiate a fair price for the island that takes into account compensation for existing residents and the other train of thought, which was everyone else, was that existing tenants are the problem for the existing seller so tough titty to them, it's the sellers responsibility.

Now I can sort of see where everyone else is coming from. They just want the island and if they don't buy it and the tier isn't paid, everyone loses. However, even a second hand island isn't a cheap purchase. If I'm spending hundreds of dollars on something, then I'll generally ask questions. This is what I'm used to doing, If I'm buying a second hand car, I'll ask questions. The seller may well string me along, but I'll still ask questions.

However, asking the right questions means to me, you're doing all you can to ensure you don't find yourself being branded the evil landlord. Sure, you could still get lied to, but why should I pay an existing owner for part of an island that he's sold to someone else? I know technically he owns that plot, but morally the person who purchased the plot owns it.

Then there are those who say "You're not buying a business, just land", but that still doesn't make me feel any better about the prospect of buying a plot that ethically, the guy selling me doesn't own. If I want to buy an island and convert it into a hedonistic orgy room and evict all the existing tenants, well I should be doing so with a view to them getting a share of the sale price, rather than paying the previous tenant and then just evicting everyone.

I fully understand that it's not easy to get true answers, but I really can't see the problem with asking a few questions prior to a purchase. I've been in situations in certain pubs where people arrive with a bag of swag, never a sign you're in a nice pub, would I buy anything? Not likely, it's shady goods in general and shady goods are often what you end up with when you purchase something "no questions asked".

Technorati Tags: Linden Lab SecondLife