September 4, 2008 by Ciaran Laval
Posted in
Ding dong the witch is dead, which old witch? The wicked witch, ding dong the wicked witch is dead!
Yes ad farming has ceased to be, well soon it will, as announced by Jack Linden on the official blog.
There are some concerns still, most notably Ancient Shriner's way too happy post when Jack originally discussed mainland. That's still bugging me, "TAG 2, the return of the TAG" is playing on my mind.
However I guess all is fair in love and war, they deserve a chance at getting a license, as does Robo Marx, whatever you think of them, their past shouldn't be held against them if it's a fair process to apply for an advertising license.
This part of the blog entry is interesting: "No more spinning, floating cubes, no more unsolicited notecard givers, no more improper use of ban lines."
Improper use of banlines, that has already raised some controversy. I wonder how many people will take it upon themselves to report any banlines? Indeed how many people will take it upon themselves to report any adverts and give the G team a headache?
Adverts are not being banned by this policy. My understanding is that my adverts are safe under this policy, I have three advertising boards in an outdoor mall, they scroll a few adverts, they're on the walls of my buildings and the main purpose of that plot is as a mall.
There are implications however for notecard and landmark givers when they are not touch activated, that's how it reads to me. There are quite a lot of these devices around. I actually have one so I better get rid of that, I was considering doing it anyway as I've been reading that people don't like them, although I've never had a complaint.
My concern now is where these advertising plots are going to appear, because no matter how pretty they are, someone is likely to be miffed if one turns up next door to them, indeed they're likely to think "Of all the parcels, in all the sims in SL, this ad parcel walks into mine"
So what do you guys think? Good, bad, you'll believe it when you see it? I think they've got the balance right.
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Consistency/Transparency
It's not important to me that they decided against ad farms. Simply that they decided one way or the other. For those who fought against them, this is your day. Celebrate it.
Looming on the horizon is a new breeding ground for inconsistency. And I believe it to be the key issue. Not ad farms. But what constitutes an ad farm. What are the criterion for licensure? Will edge cases of a similar nature be treated similarly(taking prior histories into account, so long as they be taken into account similarly).
If there is a battle. Surely this is it. For those who may fight it, I wish you the very best.
Written like a proud father, Ciaran. Well done.
km
For all you licensed advertisers out there!
Hi Everyone. Well I hope I can get a license, how much will LL make off this, since making money here is the plan not just helping residents LOL. But if I dont get one I would like all future advertisers to contact me I will have plenty of cuts ready when your ready to run your business. I may be interested in swapping advertising for plots so ask me.
TY
Robo Marx
CEO BDVR
& the saga continues!!!!
Nothing personal....
But I hope your avatar rots on an obscure server in another stellar constellation.
I'm sure the person behind the avatar is a lovable person, but somehow that just never makes it through that avatar... or maybe it's your keyboard filter? It might need cleaning...
LOL
Second Life Consultant
D#$% I forgot to clean that filter again!
Im sure your lovable to in RL NF, but your filter may need to be checked as well.
Robo
Heh.
The last thing I'd want would be to be loved by Robo Marx. That's just too wrong on too many levels. ;-)
Second Life Consultant
Gonna have to say I'm pretty
Gonna have to say I'm pretty disappointed in SL over this. Don't get me wrong, I'm against ad farms as much as anyone. My rental and land flipping business is of course massively affected by ad farms and they surely cost me 100s or 1000s of dollars a year.
One reason I'm disappointed is because they've totally missed the point. "Ad farms" is just a euphemism for land extortion and massive parcel cutting. An "ad farm" is a field of tiny parcels with a bunch of crap all over them. It doesn't have to have anything to do with ads.
The other reason I'm disappointed is that this problem would have been simple to solve using technological means. Instead they're going to have to hire people who are naturally going to make arbitrary and inconsistent decisions and everyone is going to Whhhaaaaaa about favouritism or whatever.
There's been a ton of suggestions for simple ways to solve this problem, here's some of my favourites:
Parcels under 256sqm can't have prims on
Parcels under 256sqm can't be sold to Anyone only to Specific Person
If they'd chosen either of those routes the problem would immediately be solved. People would accept it as the new norm since the computer is applying the rules evenly and fairly to absolutely everyone. Even if we'd be throwing away some legitimate uses for small parcels it would soon be considered the norm, like no-one questions why parcels can only be cut into multples of 16sqm, it's just the way it is and there's nothing you can do about it.
Well, that's good news. ;-)
Because I now have a mainland 512m plot again. So much for my nefarious plans.... j/k
Second Life Consultant
One battle has been won..
..the war continues.
Obviously, they are already laying plans to skirt the policy. Without the complementary part of this policy dealing with the land extortionist/harassment problem, all it is going to do is force the remaining adfarmers (who are already mostly in bed with the extortion parasites anyway) to go solely to land extortion and harassment. Robo has already announced that it is pretty much "business as usual" for him, with only a minor change in his tactics (instead of adverts for games, he will have a game or two and a small pseudo-advert which will offer to TP people to his main game area). The guy really just doesn't get it.
Do they deserve a chance at getting a license? I am not sure I would agree with that assessment. Granting them a license will no doubt create severe backlash from many residents harassed by their members over the past two years. I certainly have no desire to see any Linden-sanctioned advertisement with their logo on it. I think they need to atone for their past arrogance and harassment before I would consider them worthy of a license.
Backlash
The backlash would be a case of market forces making their model not viable. However as they haven't been banned, in the interests of fairness they should be able to apply. I know this will be unpalatable to some but a fair system has to involve all avatars on the merits of their application.
True.
But if someone is consistently a problem child, the only one to complain will be the one... that can't be heard anymore. There's no baby in that bathwater, sorry.
Second Life Consultant
Fairness?
Just because they haven't been banned doesn't absolve them of being part of the reason why LL had to go to these lengths in the first place. That should count against them no matter what.
I am sorry, but I don't buy the "If it wasn't disallowed, it was legitimate" argument; you've been smoking a bit too much of Robo's weed, I think. ;)
If it were me deciding on whether or not I would grant a license to TAG or not, here's what I would require:
1) That they had COMPLETELY dismantled their existing ad network, and helped to reintegrate their adplots / "heal" the damage they have caused to the mainland.
2) That they posted a public apology and took full responsibility for their actions.
When you bump into someone, you don't look for a rulebook to find a reason to say "pardon me". Likewise, when a business hurts other people, it should be held ethically accountable, regardless of whether it was against the rules at the time or not.
Then and only then would I consider them a "mature, responsible business" worthy of having an exclusive, limited, monopolistic license to LL's new advertising regime.
Anonymous!
Need I say More!!!
Hey!
I haven't smoked weed since I had a very bad experience in Amsterdam thank you very much :p
The issue for LL is transparency. Best case scenario they don't issue a license to the people who caused the problem, everyone can be happy to a degree then but I don't want to see a "nudge nudge wink wink" license issues to friendly faces either, it has to be on merit.
If they decide that those who have had ar's made against them aren't suitable then fine, but it has to be consistent.
I'd rather the likes of TAG didn't get the license, but the objection needs to have reasonable foundations.
Somewhat agree.
All jokes aside, I doubt Ill get a license,(10 people with 1000 alts will flood support tickets to denounce me receiving one!) Even though every paying customer should have the right! I dont just cower behind anonymous cover and bloviate either though, I tell LL employees how I feel as well. Why shouldnt we all, we are paying customers. I only really advertise my own businesses now for the most case. So I basically plan on focusing on sales to licensed advertisers if i am unable to obtain a license. But there are quite a few adboard runners who were ARd out the wazoo(even while following TOS as i do.) who will be hurt by unfair lisensing decisions. I need the clients I sell to, but I can try and find more! But if your livelyhood is selling advertising and you have a system in place you cant use, your screwed!
Robo Marx
CEO BDVR
Fortunately...
Ad spammers are in the minority, but feel free to prove us wrong by getting a petition signed. ;-)
Second Life Consultant
Agreed.
They have cost too many people too much money already. If it were truly MY WORLD, they'd be out so fast that they'd go through the door instead of the frame.
But it ain't.
Second Life Consultant
Sort of agree
I've been next to their plots so I know where you're coming from but they weren't kicked out. To avoid accusations of FIC and bias, all residents have to be considered as making fair applications to this.
ROBO's NEW JOB
ROBO Former AdFarmer Is Now AKA
Mr. Nudge Slots
Has anyone saw all the games he bought? I couldn't believe it when I first saw it last week. Just wondering if he hired any noobs to go around to all his 16M lands to clean up the messes. I sure he could pay them 1L$ each AdFarm they go clean up.
When I saw ROBO got games, I made sure to help him some of my FREE commision games. So now ROBO makes me money from his Nudge Slot land ;-)
ThaBiGGDoGG Richez
MONEY-PYRAMID.COM
We Put Cash In Your Pockets
http://MONEY-PYRAMID.COM/
TY Big DOGG
First to the Haters: Some of the people in SL don’t understand how to make $$. And even the ones that run businesses don’t understand they need advertising. And that the real ADFARMERS out there(NOT ME, the ones that blow up a whole 512 into 16s regularly) actually help push residents to their estates(estate/ML dealers are behind this push, but they are really spiting them selves).
Oh wait they can still cut up a whole 512 into 16s and charge 777 a pc for them(u go froggy wherever your at), I guess the problem isn’t solved-LOL I love the warm fuzzy feeling LL creates right before I have to pull the rug out from underneath the haters!!!
NOTE TO LL-If you got a job opening I can help you guys out(min 250k Plus future stock options, I know what the real plan is at LL) I will consult for about 100k a year no more then 10-15 hrs week. Good thing is I wont need bennies then. I could fix the whole ad dilemma and make you guys a killing!
Common sense-Ads should be allowed to say max of one per company/avi per sim. You know maybe the CEO at LL should be running this show isn’t that why he was brought on. M is a businessman and knows a lot about marketing I believe. It looks as though LL has something up its sleeve a lot deeper then getting rid of me. Don’t mark my words they come off less smarter then they actually are when they create new policies, and only damage the whole place.
Anyway BigDogg I’m opening up some regional gaming areas throughout Sl for people to play(until they ban playing and having fun too) I will be sure to place an orb on each my friend. Cant wait to see if LL actually zones sims, I have big plans! BTW not to toot the dogs horn, but if any of you have a club or place of business contact him for the lucky stars great little $$$ maker. (AND No he is not my alt) I don’t understand why you people out there think every AVI with a good $$ making plan is me :'>
Ok gotta go, just wanted to let you know I’m still here for now.
Robo
CEO BDVR
Less smarter?
"Don’t mark my words they come off less smarter then they actually are"
Pot meet kettle.
Come on Now Ninja
You now what Im saying is true, when people hide behind screen names its hard to pinpoint things is all I meant M comes from a deep marketing background. Anyone out here know there is possibly IBM employees deploying adboards now? Go to center Sim Xigola http://slurl.com/secondlife/Xigola/126/140/2. I cant make this s$#@ up! And Ninja I know I threw your name out here earlier (only out of respect), but your a smart guy. You Gonna give that universal network to Arbor, i doubt it. Nothing against your biz, I think its good for you. Times are changing tho and your about making $$. So lets see what happens when the drama unfolds!!!
ROBO
Keep dreamin' Robo!
Mark Kingdon DOES come a deep marketing background. One that is grounded in real life rules, and keen knowledge and education on the subject, COMPLETELY unlike yourself.
Here's a sample of that keen savvy you apparently lack:
"M Linden showed us a beautiful shot of a resivoir the moles built and then panned up to include some ad towers next to it, made a comment that Jack was starting to take care of this. Obviously our new CEO understands how much the ugly practice of ad farms hurts retention. Even Phillip Rosedal said something about it so the top dogs are aware and seem to have aknowledged the need for change. This was at our breakfast with the two. I personnaly thanked Phillip Linden for the new policy. He responded with a wry smile and the comment we'll see if it works. When M Linden made his comment about ad farms the entire room applauded. I reiterate, Thank You Linden Gods for hearing our pleas. Spam in the view is detrimental to our enjoyment of our mainland builds."
As you can see, M Linden recognizes the problem well, and supports the elimination of ad farms directly himself.
Don't bother dragging Elanthius into this, Robo. At least he is willing to act like a responsible corporate citizen (and has done many things recently to prove it not only to me, but to many others as well). That's what makes his business the success it is. Well, that, and HAVING a business to begin with. You definitely can learn a lot from his examples, so I suggest you sit up and pay attention.
Simply Unsigned
Stretch- eek what was that crack
YAWN!!!!!
Go to sleep.
You're yawning is boring me. ;-)
Second Life Consultant
I was out in the hall, but I
I was out in the hall, but I heard the applause when it was mentioned. Was a great feeling knowing the big guys are well aware of the problem and against it as well. If the big guys are against it, change is here.
You've got a long way to go, Robo.
If you're looking for good press, you might want to consider hiring someone who disagrees with you and who you'll listen to.
LOL
Second Life Consultant
HMMM
If I listened to those who disagreed id be running a blog and chased out of SL businesses, just like them!
Robo Marx
Or maybe...
You'd actually find something useful to do that would take you out into daylight, just like them. And you might actually make decent money doing honest work... just like them. ;-)
No worries. ;-)
Second Life Consultant