So now basically everything I upload into Secondlife belongs to Linden Labs because I had to accept and sign the new TOS before I could even log on, and if I upload a texture of yours to use in my build, it too becomes the property of Linden Labs.., because I uploaded it.
How does that make me feel as a content creator who frequently uploads textures? Initially I was like “What?! No Way!” and “Seriously?!”
Later that old familiar SL feeling of Frustration, discouragement, and helplessness wrapped around my soul like a dark cloud. I say familiar because every time LL takes a course of action it’s usually detrimental to some aspect of SL leaving me with these feelings a type of depression unique to users of SL. Ultimately these feelings pass, the uproar dies down and “Second” life goes on.
This time it’s a bit different thanks to the new way LL has worded it’s “Terms Of Service” which not only affects SL, but RL as well. For those of you who may have missed the news and new changes please read the TOS changes here: Content Creators Of SL and the direct consequence in RL of the TOS change here: Renderosity Products Not Allowed In Secondlife
Now granted, I seriously doubt that tomorrow I’ll see my textures featured on the SL Marketplace homepage as I said before, but the idea that I could possibly see my textures featured on the marketplace homepage without my permission or knowledge thanks to being forced to sign LL’s TOS, makes me have the anti warm fuzzy feelings I mention above.
You see in my mind, the things I create contribute to making SL a dynamic destination, a fun and interesting, always curious, place to be. In other words, LLs bring the playground, and I bring the equipment that fills up said playground with neat stuff for myself and other people to play with. Which in my mind, brings fruit, both financial and esthetically, for everyone involved. One without the other changes a great experience into a “Meh” one. This dynamic makes sense to me, we all play nice together, we all benefit together.
Yet Linden Labs and myself don’t seem to share the same idea. There seems to be little understanding on the part of LL that they need me as much as I need them. They own their product, and it is a product, I get that. SL is a business product first and foremost, they can of course, do whatever they want with it, I get that too. However by TOS changes such as these most recent, I feel that they don’t need my contribution at all and in fact are trying to limit my user experience, sense I don’t log on to dance and buy clothes. (Okay, well, not ALL the time.) After all, by insisting that I give up all my rights to my creations, LLs TOS make SL a pay to play kind of deal. To play, I must give up all right to my own creations, my payment, for allowing me to use their platform. This of course makes me suspect that they are looking to add a specific kind of user since it seems they are out to chase creative types away. Here’s a texture I uploaded into SL just today. I haven’t uploaded anything else because for me right now, the price to play is just too high. It’s theirs to use in any way they see fit, and in the words of their TOS to sell re-sell. But in the meantime I think I’ll go through my inventory, get my items together, spiff up my Marketplace store and list list list. After all, I have all the time in the inworld since I won’t be creating anything new for awhile, at least in SL, until they figure this out. Don’t worry, I’m not holding my breath.