Monday, October 4, 2010

Linden Labs to Halt Discounts on Educational and Non-Profit Sims


In the latest Linden blog update, Nelson Linden made a couple announcements. One was that the price for private regions would stay the same at least until 2012. But the other was less than welcome news for those running certain places on the grid.


All education and non-profit private regions of any type, purchased after Dec. 31, 2010, will be invoiced at standard (i.e. non-discounted) pricing. All currently discounted renewals which occur after Dec. 31, 2010, will be adjusted to the new price at that time.


Nelson Linden did state that groups just launching programs would be giving the option of Open Space/Homestead sims. Still, the comments following the blog entry were full of disappointed posters. Some accused the Lindens of deliberately planning on pushing these places out of Second Life. Others pointed out this move would affect a number of well known places and organizations:

Educators (schools and universities) aren't the only organizations affected by this. Others include: museums like The Tech Museum of Innovation and the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum in SL, government agencies like NASA and NOAA, libraries, Relay for Life (the American Cancer Society), Virtual Ability (and) advocacy organizations like the National Space Society.

It is ironic that Linden Labs had made the decision to let teens in Second Life for the purpose of education. And now, some of the groups that were the reason the teens would be let in might not set up on the Main Grid after all. Also, Linden Labs had once touted Education as what Second Life might be the most useful for. And now, it is withdrawing the support for it.

For the blog post and comments: Click Here.

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