Illusions and Pixel Dust

This Mother Earth picture created by Skip Staheli for me? Property of Linden Labs

Well the day started fine enough, I have my blog pics, I half arsed work out what I wanted to hear myself yak about. Because I’m sure other than a small handful of you, I speak mostly to an empty room. But es okay, I live alone, so empty room talking is pretty much a daily thing for me. I specifically needed to use pics I paid for in this blog, because its all about a contract for buying and selling a product between two people and a third party can intervene and take the item for free. As usual, I digress, I WAS ready, then Will Burns happened and as conspiracy theories are written, his blog post yesterday is at the top of the playlist this week in my Second Life (http://cityofnidus.blogspot.se/2013/09/your-world-your-imagination.html ). But, as you know, I’m not a conspiracy theorist; however, I am a watcher and a thinker. And I’ve been watching and thinking quite a bit lately, ever since speaking to my friend Rob Goldstein last week when he asked me, a silly little model, if I had an opinion on Linden Labs recent change to the TOS (terms of service). More importantly, where it states:

This Madama Butterfly, created by Pam Astonia for me? Property of Linden Labs

2.3 You grant Linden Lab certain licenses to your User Content.

[..]you agree to grant to Linden Lab, the non-exclusive, unrestricted, unconditional, unlimited, worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, and cost-free right and license to use, copy, record, distribute, reproduce, disclose, sell, re-sell, sublicense (through multiple levels), modify, display, publicly perform, transmit, publish, broadcast, translate, make derivative works of, and otherwise exploit in any manner whatsoever, all or any portion of your User Content (and derivative works thereof), for any purpose whatsoever in all formats, on or through any media, software, formula, or medium now known or hereafter developed, and with any technology or devices now known or hereafter developed, and to advertise, market, and promote the same. You agree that the license includes the right to copy, analyze and use any of your Content as Linden Lab may deem necessary or desirable for purposes of debugging, testing, or providing support or development services in connection with the Service and future improvements to the Service.[..].

A Blond in a red dress can do without introductions-but not a bodyguard, created by Julie Hastings? yep, property of Guvner Linden

Seriously though, why would a silly little model, why would you or I even care about this change in terminology? If you want the in depth speculation, click the link above, it’s quite a read. But if you’re a Carnation Evaporated Milk reader (like it sweet and condensed), it’s important because “$1.5 billion is estimated to be spent on virtual goods each year.” Your imagination, your content, your hard work, well turns out, if it’s on the metaverse, it’s not yours a’tall. It belongs to Linden Labs. These pictures that I have uploaded into SL at one time or another, my story, my portfolio, the pictures I was thinking I would use to create a children’s book? Lo and behold, they aren’t exclusively even mine. I paid quite a bit of money to style and to have them created, AND paid 10L’s to upload it to boot, all so LL could have them. And you thought a fool wasn’t born every minute, *raises hand* turns out, it’s me. And you, and you too. This isn’t a copy/share/transfer restricted takeaway, its every single object/texture you create. I won’t get into what their end game is, Will Burns speculates on this, if you want to know his opinion you can read it there. I have a business degree, but I certainly don’t need one to know having all the creative content available in SL in their coffers is certainly bound to increase their net worth exponentially.

Photo by ❤ Asia Rae? yeah, same old story

The take from? Not sure I have a real one, but I will start with this. Everyone in the world is all up in arms about the NSA phone tapping scandal lately. I do not condone the actions of the NSA, but to me, and this is just my opinion, what Linden Labs is doing is kind of like tapping my phones, then walking in my door, grabbing a beer from the fridge, riffling through my knickers drawer, inspecting the other contents of my condo, picking out the furnishings and items they want for themselves, and walking out the door with them. While I sit and watch. You know, pretty much like the day your teenage child moves out of the house and half of what you own mysteriously disappears? (I know because I was one 😉 ) As for grown up me? I’ve never really believed in the saying “what’s mine is mine, what’s yours is mine” but hey, that’s just my feelings on it. Take it for what it’s worth to ya.

I don’t know about you, but this new TOS? LL’s can kiss.. ah nevermind, even I won’t go there.